Seth's Curse
by Malfodax
Summary: Draco has a secret, a terrible sercret that is slowly eating away at him...will Hermione find out before it's too late or will Death claim his victim?
1. A Night to Remember

Disclaimer's Notice: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters featuring in the books or the films. They belong to J.K Rowling and her wonderful mind. Only the plot is mine so venture into it if you dare...  
  
Chapter 1  
  
A blonde haired adolescent stood at the foot of a banister. He looked at his watch and shifted uneasily from one foot to another. His other hand darted up to check his inner left jacket pocket. He breathed a little easier as he felt the box was still there. He heard a rustle of silk and withdrew his hand quickly, looking up, his worried expression melted as a grin took its place. A gorgeous figure gazed at him from the top of the stairs...gliding down the steps, she threw herself at him. Locked in embrace, the woman reached up to kiss her boyfriend. This was bliss thought Draco, this was exactly what he had always dreamed of, a beautiful woman that belonged solely to him, that only he knew every inch of and that only he could ever make his own.  
  
"Oh Draco, forget the benefit dinner, lets do something a little more exciting", she said huskily.  
  
Malfoy felt a something lurch violently inside his stomach at the words; partly in fear and partly in excitement. His father was expecting him in 20 minutes and Draco knew that he would be furious if he was for some reason unable to attend. Lucius had spoken of nothing else for weeks; he was about to be inaugurated into the Wizengamot (the high council of all wizards) and he would not want his only son to miss it for anything.  
  
He replied, "Alright, but better not let Dobby or Father catch us or we'll be in serious trouble".  
  
Hermione gave Draco the grin that could only mean one thing...it was going to be a very long and exciting night...  
  
Surprisingly, the Malfoys had cleaned up after Harry Potter had led to the demise of the Dark Lord and Lucius had finally accepted after 5 years that his son was madly in love with a Muggle. Hermione had been accepted with open arms by Narcissa Malfoy; Lucius however, had been mistrustful of his son ever since they had moved back in together with an addition to the family. They lived in a cottage of their own at the edge of the Malfoy estate; it was perfect for 2 people in love and it had everything they could possibly ever want or need. They had their own team of house-elves who pretty much took care of everything from the housework to the shopping, it was paradise.  
  
Hermione had already partially undone her dress as she reached the bedroom; she pulled Draco into the room and locked the door. She stood there looking at him...his beautiful steely grey eyes that had captured her were now filed with lust and love. She quickly unbuckled his trousers and ripped off his shirt. As he stood topless before her, she examined his torso, as her fingers traced the scars that were dotted around his chest from the final battles between the Malfoys and the remaining Death Eaters, he suddenly winced. She looked up, concerned, as her hand lingered over the shiny scar that was placed over his heart.  
  
"What's wrong? It can't still be hurting can it, after all this time?" asked Hermione.  
  
His eyes flashed a sudden look of worry and pain that Hermione, thankfully, failed to see.  
  
"It's nothing that time won't heal, just a little tender that's all, only got it a month ago...remember?"  
  
Hermione, only too easily, recalled the day she had gotten an owl from St. Mungo's telling her of Draco's condition. That was the day that had nearly lost her the only thing that mattered anymore; she shuddered and looked up, Draco's worried look was gone and all that remained in his eyes was something that any woman could easily interpret, especially Hermione.  
  
He smiled, bent forwards and kissed her so hard that she was surprised at his urgency and need. As his hands moved from his sides to her back she felt a tingle flow down through her spine. Her dress slid off with ease as she advanced towards the bed. Draco obediently followed her, drawing the chiffon curtains as he approached. Hermione pulled Draco on top of her naked body as she pulled his trousers off revealing boxer-briefs that were dotted with miniature snitches. As she looked at them, she laughed out loud which made Draco look up. He gave her a mischievous grin as he took them off. Suddenly things began to move faster, Draco's heart began to beat harder and harder as Hermione's breathing quickened. Hermione gasped and she embraced him tighter, the need, the urgency that she had seen in Draco's eyes suddenly had purpose. Then, as if right on cue, they began to move as one and the purity of the passion that held this moment and their lives enchanted all...  
  
With a grunt, Lucius looked at his watch and sighed; Narcissa looked over wearily and frowned: "You have been doing that for over an hour; whatever is the matter Lucius?" Lucius looked around and then leaned towards his wife:  
  
"They are over an hour and a half late, where are they?! This is getting ridiculous!"  
  
Narcissa smiled, she knew exactly where the two of them were but she kept her silence.  
  
"Lucius, Draco is 21, I am sure that he can take care of himself, he probably has a valid reason for not being here. Remember what he said at breakfast? Tonight is the night; maybe they are...occupied...as a result of Kale's question. You remember when you first asked me, what we did that night."  
  
She smiled inwardly to herself; "This may not be the best time to lose your temper with your son..."  
  
"That had better be the reason, he knows better than to cross a Malfoy", said Lucius maliciously.  
  
As Draco lay there, his sweat and essence mingled with Hermione's he thought of his father and what he would say if he should see them together now. He was suddenly jerked away from his thoughts by a sigh from Hermione. He lifted his head and looked deep into her eyes. There he found comfort and solace from all his troubles. He rolled over and snuggled deep into Hermione's neck; before long, both of them were asleep.  
  
Draco's jacket lay discarded on the floor... 


	2. The Wrath of Lucius

Disclaimer's Notice: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters featuring in the books or the films. They belong to J.K Rowling and her wonderful mind. Only the plot is mine so venture into it if you dare...  
  
Chapter 2  
  
A crisp ray of cool light shone into the master-bedroom window of a small cottage at the edge of the Malfoy estate. Draco took a deep breath and stretched. As he began to sit up, he looked out of the window and contemplated the events of the night before. As a family of deer crossed the river that marked the end of the estate, Draco looked towards his jacket. It was still there, lying on the floor, its package in the pocket undisturbed. As he began to look for his boxers, Hermione rolled over; she looked so beautiful just laying there, her tanned skin looked incredibly brown against the pure white sheets and her soft brown curls framed her face just perfectly. Malfoy reached for his jacket and walked quietly towards the bathroom so as not to wake her up. As he entered the bathroom he shut the door and locked it. Perching himself on the toilet seat he reached into the left inner jacket pocket and pulled out a small back velvet box with the Malfoy family crest embedded in silver on the top. As he began to run his fingers over the crest, his hand suddenly darted to the left side of his chest. The scar that he had received as a souvenir from the last battle with the Death Eaters had been giving him some trouble lately. It throbbed, even a month afterwards; the Healers at St. Mungo's had told him that the curse aimed at him during the last battle had been severe and had been administered with such anger that it would never properly heal, plus the fact that it was so close to his heart made it impossible to tell how long it would take to properly heal, if ever.  
  
He thought about what the Healers had said as he began to turn the box over and over in his hands; he contemplated talking to Hermione regarding the contents but he didn't want to worry her about the matter of his scar so he decided to keep that a secret. He sighed and placed the box inside the medicine cabinet as turned the shower on; just before he stepped in he heard a sigh from the bedroom and with a smile on his face, he unlocked the door. The water ran over his entire body jerking him awake. He thought about his father and the dinner that he missed as he washed himself down. Draco was not looking forward to facing him this morning, he decided that he would try and go alone so as to save Hermione the shame of watching him being scolded by his father as if he were a little boy. He finished his shower and got dressed; the box was securely placed in his coat pocket as he climbed down the stairs towards the front door. He left Hermione a note saying where he was lest she should wake up and get worried. The crisp cool morning air chilled his face as he began the long and tedious walk towards Malfoy Manor.  
  
He reached the front door at about 9am; Dobby, who had rejoined the family after the demise of the Dark Lord, opened the door and welcomed him in with a long and courteous bow. He was ushered into his father's study, glancing around he assumed that his mother was still asleep as she was not there as usual with her morning cup of tea and a copy of the Daily Prophet. His father was sitting at his desk doing some paperwork, his long blonde hair hanging neatly by his shoulders.  
  
"Good morning father, it's a wonderful day, have you been outside this morning?" asked Draco with a smile on his face.  
  
"Where were you last night? You missed my ceremony, it was not appreciated; everyone noticed that you weren't there to support me when I received my highest honour..." replied Lucius in a cold tone.  
  
His back was to Draco but he could see that his father's fists were trembling; it sent cold shivers down his spine.  
  
"I was, well, what I mean is, umm, I was..."  
  
"Do not even attempt to make feeble excuses for yourself! I know that you spent the evening with that filthy mudblood muggle Hermione Granger!" screamed Lucius as he turned towards Draco.  
  
The chill that had been running down Draco's spine suddenly turned to a block of ice at his heart, his scar began to throb as his father advanced towards him.  
  
"Father, please, be reasonable, I am sorry, but you know what the Healers said about your temper" said Draco quietly.  
  
"Fuck the Healers and their blasted diagnosis, a little temper towards one's own son never did anyone any harm." replied Lucius with a sneer as he came ever closer towards Draco; he suddenly noticed that his father has one hand clamped firmly on his cane.  
  
Narcissa looked around the Manor as she descended the steps from her bedroom. As she walked towards the study, she heard an almighty scream come from within. She bolted towards the door and flung it open. The scene that lay before her eyes was one that she would never forget. Draco was lying on the floor, his face covered with blood and he was clutching his stomach as Lucius repeatedly kicked him over and over again. She screamed and attempted to throw her husband off her son with little success. Malfoy senior too had once been captain of his school quidditch team and he still held some of the strength that was required to be a successful beater. Almost as suddenly as is happened, he stopped and looked down at Draco who was groaning in agony with a look of pure venom. He lifted his stick up and hit Draco on the back of his neck which rendered him flat on his stomach and unable to move.  
  
Hermione had woken up and finding Draco's note, explaining that he had gone to have breakfast with his parents, had hurriedly gotten dressed. She was at the front door when she heard Lucius' bellow come from within the study. Ignoring Dobby's welcome, she raced to the door and saw Draco lying on the floor, struggling to get up. She ran towards him and rolled him onto his back. Narcissa was weeping in the corner while Lucius sipped a glass of sherry in the corner.  
  
"Oh-my-God! Draco, what happened? Are you alright?" squealed Hermione as she placed a hand tenderly on his heart.  
  
His breathing was normal as was his heartbeat. Draco's hand suddenly clamped onto Hermione's over his heart, as he began to gasp and writhe in pain.  
  
"I can't breathe, I can't breathe!" whispered Draco laboriously, his eyes rolling into the back of his head.  
  
Draco's head slumped back and his hand fell limp over Hermione's. 


	3. Bad News

Disclaimer's Notice: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters featuring in the books or the films. They belong to J.K Rowling and her wonderful mind. Only the plot is mine so venture into it if you dare...  
  
Chapter 3  
  
Hermione paced backwards and forwards in a large room full of magazines and books. It was dawn and she felt a shiver run through her as she thought about the events that happened the day before. Draco was still in the intensive care unit of St. Mungo's; Lucius was at the manor and Narcissa had accompanied him to get some rest. Hermione however, had decided to stay here and wait for some news. An important looking Healer in a white uniform entered the room and looked at his clipboard. He glanced around the room and cleared his throat, "Is there a Ms. Granger in here?" All the other witches and wizards looked around and shrugged their shoulders. Hermione took a deep breath and stepped forward. The Healer looked at her with apprehension and then led her into an office that contained many books and files on many different cases and illnesses, most of which Hermione didn't recognise. Her stomach clenched and she felt queasy at the thought of some of them.  
  
The Healer shifted uneasily and began: "Good evening Ms. Granger. My name is Healer Morden, I am Chief Healer here at St. Mungo's and I am afraid that I have some rather disturbing news for you regarding Mr. Draco Malfoy." Hermione sat down and braced herself for the worst. "As you probably remember, Mr. Malfoy was in here about a month ago with some serious injuries that occurred when his family fought in the Last Battle. We treated his wounds that seemed to be minor and discharged him within 3 days."  
  
Hermione fidgeted with a loose strand of hair, she already knew this, why was it being repeated? What was wrong with Draco? Why was the Healer beating around the bush, what did he really want to tell her?  
  
She looked up and sighed, the Healer continued: "Mr. Malfoy's attacker was a Death Eater known to the ministry as 'Seth'; he administered a curse to Mr. Malfoy that we have never seen before. It was aimed straight at his heart and unfortunately his aim was true. This curse that seems to be a creation of 'Seth's' had specific characteristics that we never expected. On the surface, it seemed to be a violent form of stunning spell that only presents a flesh wound that can easily be healed. When we examined it in detail however, we discovered that it actually was not what we had expected and was slowly eating away at his heart. Now, we managed to repair most of the damage done initially but the curse has repelled the treatment it and it has been rendered temporary; we have repeated the procedure and now there is nothing more we can do as the spell has no known antidote. I want you to know that I am working as hard as possible to find the answer but it is taking time and I fear that Mr. Malfoy has very little. The option of finding this 'Seth' and simply asking him with the help of Vetriserum is no longer an option as he was captured about 3 days ago (after many weeks of searching) by some Dementors who were kind enough to give him a little kiss. As you can imagine, he has now been rendered useless to anyone but the gate-keepers of Azkaban."  
  
Hermione sat back heavily in her chair and looked up towards the heavens. She shuddered and tried to blink away tears that would not be stopped. As she mentally prepared herself she looked at the Healer. He saw that her eyes were brimmed with tears, "Maybe I should save the rest for when you are in a better state of mind." he said.  
  
"No, I want to know everything, please continue..." said Hermione while she tried to put on a brave face.  
  
"Right, so, what I am trying to say is that the injuries Mr. Malfoy suffered this morning have increased the speed of the degenerative process affecting his heart and so it is impossible to tell whether he will have one week or one month to live. I am sorry but there is nothing more we can do. The only solution that we have come up with so far is to implant a device that we call the 'care meter' into his system. If he begins to feel any pain whatsoever, the device will register it and quickly administer a dose of Morphine into his blood to ease the pain. We have bewitched it with an everlasting charm that will never allow the Morphine supply to run out. It will not be detectable by any machinery because it is designed to camouflage itself rather like a chameleon. It will not affect his condition in anyway to make it worse and it will mean that he can lead the rest of his life in a pain-free manner. All I ask is that he is kept away from whatever caused the extensive injuries he suffered yesterday morning and is given a lot of love and attention, for I fear he will need it now more than ever. If there is a repeat of yesterday morning's incident and he once again slips into unconsciousness, I am sceptical as to whether he will ever wake up again. Thank you for your time and I am truly sorry that this bad news came on such a beautiful day..." With that, the Healer finished and rose from his chair.  
  
Hermione did the same and sighed.  
  
"Can I see him?" she asked rather timidly.  
  
"Of course" replied the Healer with a hint of sadness in his voice.  
  
Before the left the room Hermione needed to ask one last question: "Does he know about any of this?"  
  
The Healer looked at her and gently smiled: "Yes, he knows, it was our obligation to tell him the day he arrived carrying this burden of bad luck."  
  
Hermione gasped, the tears were now flowing down her cheeks like an uncontrollable river. 'Why didn't he tell me?' she asked herself again and again. But as always, there was no answer.  
  
Draco Malfoy lay propped against his pillows looking out of the window. He heard footsteps down the hallway and his stomach lurched. He began to feel uneasy; the suspicion of bad news began to loom over his head like a dark cloud of agony. The door opened to reveal a Healer Trainee and none other than Hermione.  
  
"Hermione! Oh my god! It's you! I thought that it was Healer Morden coming with some more news to make this already wonderful day even better!" exclaimed Draco, his words dripping with sarcasm.  
  
Hermione, who had been trying to hold back her tears, took one look at him and burst into uncontrollable hysterics. She ran past the medi-witch and straight into his arms. As he pulled her onto the bed, she looked up to his face and into his eyes. The one thing that fascinated her beyond all about this extraordinary man was that his eyes held so much depth that you never knew when they ended. As her lips touched his, she felt all the love that he ever possessed for her being poured into that kiss. The medi-witch stood by the door with tears glistening in her eyes.  
  
"You can leave whenever you wish Mr. Malfoy, Healer Morden has discharged you; your house-elf has come with the car and is waiting downstairs."  
  
"Thank you Liz" said Draco with nothing but warmth in the tone of his voice.  
  
The Healer Trainee known as Liz bowed slightly and left the room.  
  
"C'mon Hermione, I need to get dressed so we can go home", said Draco with a smile.  
  
He lifted her off his chest and placed her gently on the bed. She was still crying. He hauled himself out of bed and was surprised to feel no pain, 'that care-meter must be working well' he thought to himself as he removed the hospital gown that he was dressed in. Hermione lifted her head up as she saw Draco move towards the chair in the corner of the room. He was wearing nothing but his boxers and as her eyes traced all the scars that were dotted around his back. He reached for his trousers and began to put them on. She stood up and began to walk to where he was standing; he felt her coming towards him even before she moved. He could feel her hands around his waist doing up the belt of his trousers, her face nuzzled between his shoulder blades. When he was sure that she couldn't see anything he reached for his once bloodstained jacket and felt the inner left pocket. His treasure was still safely tucked away where no one could see it. 


	4. The Picnic and a Question

Disclaimer's Notice: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters featuring in the books or the films. They belong to J.K Rowling and her wonderful mind. Only the plot is mine so venture into it if you dare...  
  
Chapter 4  
  
Once back at the manor Hermione and Draco went back to their little cottage. It was still early morning so the couple decided to take some lunch and go for a walk around the grounds and maybe into the forest. Hermione went to the kitchen and asked the chef to prepare a light lunch that the couple could take with them. As she began to climb the flight of stairs that led to the bedroom she stopped and clutched her stomach, a wave of nausea and dizziness had just struck her for the second time that week. She took a deep breath and carried on walking. When she reached the bedroom she opened the door to find Malfoy sitting on the armchair by the window. He didn't seem to notice that she was there; he was looking out of the window obviously deep in thought as he turned a small black box over and over in his hands; as she walked through the doorway he heard a floorboard creak and his hand immediately darted to his inner left jacket pocket and the box was gone. Hermione pretended not to have seen the box, she trusted him and she knew that he would tell her what was in it in his own time. As soon as she realised what she had thought, a small voice in her head suddenly spoke up: 'He didn't tell you about the scar and he didn't tell you that he was dying, what makes you think that he'll tell you about the box?' Hermione looked thoughtful and brushed the feeling of suspicion away. She too had a secret and she didn't feel ready to tell Malfoy about it yet. She smiled inwardly at the thought of her secret and lent against the doorframe.  
  
"Hey you...so, are you ready for this picnic or what hmm?" she said trying to sound as cheerful as possible.  
  
"Yeah" said Draco heaving himself out of the armchair, "Let's get going before my parents realise that I'm back."  
  
He walked over to the doorway, jacked in hand and kissed Hermione lightly on her neck before leaving the room. She felt a tear silently creep down her face and she quickly brushed it aside. She didn't want Malfoy to see her cry, she knew it was stupid but she just didn't, at least not today. She grabbed her coat and followed him out of the door.  
  
In less than 15 minutes they were lying on a blanket spread under a willow by the river. Draco had his back rested against the tree while Hermione lay against his chest. They were silent and all that could be heard was the smooth rushing sound of the river. The remains of their picnic lay scattered around them; it had turned out to be a beautiful spring day with little rays of light penetrating the thick canopy of trees.  
  
Draco gently lifted Hermione off his chest and stood her on her feet. She looked at him, her eyes full of concern. He smiled warmly at her and took a step back. She watched him carefully as his right hand reached towards his inner left jacket pocket, he withdrew something small and black that had a shiny silver something on the top; he tried to conceal it in his hand so she wouldn't see.  
  
"Calm down Hermione, I'm fine" said Draco reading her panicked expression. "I just want to do this properly, that's all."  
  
Hermione had no clue as to what he was talking about but she held her silence and allowed him to continue.  
  
"Ok, here goes, Hermione, I love you, I have loved you since we graduated and I will continue to love you until there is not one breath left in my body. When I'm with you I feel like nothing but happiness can touch me! So I am going to ask you this one question and I am going to continue to ask it every day of our existence together until you say yes."  
  
Hermione's heart skipped a beat. She thought she knew what was coming but she didn't want to say anything to ruin this already perfect moment so she remained silent and once again allowed him to continue. She closed her eyes and drew in a long and deep breath, when she opened them a few seconds later Draco was on one knee kneeling before her with the little black box lying open in the palm of his hand. She gasped and her hands flew to her face in shock.  
  
"Hermione Katherine Granger, will you marry me? If you say yes I promise to love and protect you till our dying days..."  
  
Sitting there in the box was a ring, not just any ring, the most beautiful ring that she had ever seen. It was white gold with a large diamond set in the middle. The diamond was held in place on either side by two serpents' heads with emeralds for eyes. They seemed to have their fangs clamped onto the diamond as if they were guarding it with their lives, just like Draco had promised he would do if she agreed to marry him. Hermione smiled and looked her now fiancé with tears glistening in her eyes.  
  
"Yes I will Draco Nathaniel Malfoy!" said Hermione she lent forwards and kissed him; with those six words Hermione's fate was sealed.  
  
Some would have thought that the sight of the two serpents was quite intimidating but Hermione felt honoured. Instead of eyes, each of the snakes had two emeralds carefully embedded into their heads. She knew what this was; this was one of the oldest heirlooms in the Malfoy family's possession. The eldest son in every generation of the Malfoy bloodline would have used this ring to propose to his future wife. He slipped the ring onto her finger and smiled warmly. She kneeled in front of him and wrapped her arms around his neck breathing in his scent. As she knelt there hugging him silent tears ran down her cheeks as she thought of a life without him. Even the thought was unbearable so she pushed it out of her mind and whispered in his ear.  
  
"Let's go home, I'm tired."  
  
They packed the picnic up with considerable speed and began the walk home. As they walked along the path through the woods Hermione's hand was resting firmly on her stomach while the other one clutched Draco's tightly. They walked in silence and before they knew it they were back at the cottage. Draco led the way to the front door and up the steps to the bedroom. The picnic basket lay discarded by the front door as the couple stumbled into the room lips and bodies locked in embrace. Draco discarded his jacket and scarf, smiling, he looked into Hermione's eyes.  
  
"I am going to take a shower, care to join me?"  
  
"Of course, did you really need to ask?" replied Hermione breaking into a mischievous grin.  
  
She followed Draco into the bathroom. He turned the shower on and began to undress. She followed his lead and stepped into the shower reaching for the soap. As soon as she felt the water run over her she felt better, Draco stepped in after her and shut the door behind him. He took the soap from her hands and began to massage her back with it. She sighed and facing the wall placed her hands, palms flat against it. He continued to massage her back with the soap until a small moan escaped her lips. He discarded the soap and turned her around. The kiss he gave her was so hungry and so passionate that she felt compelled to respond with the same hunger and passion; she could feel his body pressed against hers as the water beat down on his back. In an instant, the speed of the moment changed, Hermione felt herself being pushed further and further into the wall as the intensity and speed increased. She moaned and gasped all the while calling out his name, her nails digging into his back and her arms wrapped firmly around him. She threw her head back and as they reached their climax in unison she felt Draco's shoulders relax and then shudder with the release of pleasure. He held her for a few moments under the constant flow of the shower before softly whispering into her ear.  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
"What? Draco...what have you to be sorry about?" asked Hermione, water running down her neck.  
  
"I'm sorry that I lied to you and I am sorry that I didn't tell you about...well...y'know...about..." Draco couldn't finish.  
  
Hermione knew that he was afraid to say it so she hugged him tightly before moving he head away to look at him in the face. The water was running down his bowed head and he looked crestfallen. She lifted his chin and brushed his wet hair out of his eyes.  
  
"Draco, I know why you didn't tell me and I respect you reasons. I understand and I am not angry with you. If anything this has made my love for you even stronger and I think that I too am at fault..." said Hermione.  
  
"Why, what could you have possibly done that was worse?" He looked concerned for a moment. "Nothing's wrong...right?"  
  
"No Draco, everything is fine, everything is perfect" she said softly into his ear. "You see...I too have something to tell you, I think that we may need that second bedroom after all..." finished Hermione with a small smile.  
  
Draco looked at her and groaned, "Please don't say that Pothead and the Weasel are coming to stay!?"  
  
Hermione slapped Draco playfully on the arm, "No stupid! We are going to have a baby...I'm pregnant..."  
  
"Oh my God..." gasped Draco as he stepped away from Hermione, "Oh my God..." 


	5. Hermione's Mistake

Disclaimer's Notice: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters featuring in the books or the films. They belong to J.K Rowling and her wonderful mind. Only the plot is mine so venture into it if you dare...  
  
Chapter 5  
  
Draco couldn't believe his ears. Hermione was pregnant! He was going to be father! When she told him in the shower he had been in complete shock, the news had fazed him in the way that nothing else had. Even the news of his heart condition had not prepared him for the news of his girlfriend; no wait his fiancé being pregnant. Malfoy couldn't be happier although deep down he knew that Lucius would not approve and would do everything in his power to stop the child from being born "the Malfoy family heir cannot be born out of wedlock!" was what he would say. But wait, Draco and Hermione were getting married, surely this would make his child legitimate and his father would not, could not exclude a legal Malfoy child from his fortune and his will. As these thoughts swirled around his head they confused him...it was wonderful he decided. Nothing Lucius or Narcissa could say or do would change that!  
  
Hermione stood in the bathroom wrapped in a towel; she turned and looked at her side profile. There was no definite bulge but she knew that within a few months there would be one that no one would be able ignore. She wondered what her parents would say. At the thought of her parents, Hermione cringed. After she left Hogwarts her father decided that she would go to the ministry and apply for a job in the Department of Mysteries. The thought of working where Sirius had died was too much for her to bear so she naturally refused saying that she wanted to become an Auror. In a rage her father had said some things that he shouldn't have.  
  
"The only reason that you want to go off and become an Auror is so that you can go and become that Potter boy's whore!" screamed Mr. Granger. "I will not stand by and watch my only child become some boy's play thing. It's bad enough that you were always with him and that Weasley all your years there. If you hadn't gotten involved with them then maybe you would have gotten better results in your NEWTS!"  
  
"Dad! How can you say that knowing that I was the Valedictorian of Hogwarts that year! I did more NEWTS than anyone else AND I was Head Girl! I thought that that's what you wanted! I mean for fuck's sake, you were happier then I was when I got my letter for Head Girl and my NEWT results! And how can you say such things about Harry and Ron, they are my best friends! They are like the brothers that I never had! They have supported and protected me like no one else!" yelled Hermione in protest.  
  
"Get out of my house you dirty little bitch!" yelled Mr. Granger.  
  
So Hermione left, she went back to Hogwarts where Dumbledore had agreed to sponsor her Auror training. With her dreams within her grasp Hermione embarked on her most taxing journey yet. Once at the academy she joined Harry and Ron in the long and tedious process involved in training. The one thing that she didn't expect was seeing Malfoy there as well. When Harry defeated Voldemort he became a legend all over again. Lucius Malfoy reluctantly renounced the Dark Side and sent Draco to become an Auror to show that he was going to support the ministry in every way possible. Even though his father had tried his best to stamp out his enthusiasm, Draco had still put his whole being into becoming a Warrior of the Order.  
  
It was there, in the mountains of Africa during the final endurance test that he had fallen for Hermione. It was there that she failed and succeeded at the same time. That test in Africa was the first time that Hermione Granger failed and with that failure all her hopes and dreams were crushed. When they returned to the ministry Draco and Hermione were deeply involved with each other. On hearing the news of his Valedictorian's failure Dumbledore reluctantly agreed to continue the financial support that he had been giving her. Not long after their return Draco received his Auror badge and was asked to start work along with Ron and Harry who had also managed to complete the training and qualify. He asked her to move in with her and they began their new life together.  
  
That was how she ended up being pregnant, engaged and unable to ever speak to her parents ever again.  
  
Hermione took a deep breath and reached for some clothes. As she got dressed she thought of the unborn child growing inside of her. She thought of the Malfoys and what they would say to the engagement and the news of her pregnancy. She frowned and cleared her mind of all else save for Draco.  
  
The wind blew across his face and bare chest as he picked up speed; he knew every aspect of this track, every tree and rock was familiar to him. He had run this track for five years before, during and now after his Auror training. His life was marked along this trail. As he jogged past the willow tree he thought of the times he had climbed it to seek solitude and sanctuary from his life and father. He had left a note for Hermione saying that he had gone for a run by the river and that he would be back in a couple of hours. His feet continued beating, creating a rhythm on the hard mud track that was his to run for as long as he pleased. He slowed down as he approached the clearing where he exercised. As he stopped and stretched he looked up to the sky and closed his eyes. The sweat dripped down from his neck and face onto his bare chest and back. He opened his eyes and saw that the dictionary of magical herbs and fungi was still lying there where he left it. After steadying his breathing he dropped down to all fours to start his press-ups.  
  
195...196....197...198...199...200. He collapsed and lay flat on his stomach taking in the scent of the earth. He stood up causing a stream of sweat to flow down his back and chest into the waistband of his black shorts. He placed his hands above his head and stretched causing the sweat to drip further down into his ankle socks, right into the depths of his black and silver Nike trainers. He walked towards the tree at the edge. Picking up the dictionary that easily weighed about 2 kilograms from the base of the tree he leaped into the air catching the nearest bough with one hand. He lifted himself up with ease and swung his legs over the top. Still holding the dictionary he leaned backwards until he was vertically suspended with only the strength of the bough and his knees keeping him from falling. As he touched the back of his thighs with his heels he held the dictionary behind his head. It was time for stomach crunches. This was something that the Aborigines had taught him whilst on a training mission in the outback of Australia. The object was to see how much weight you could lift in a stomach crunch along with your own body weight. Their warriors had trained using large rocks. A dictionary would suffice for Malfoy and therefore he had sought out the largest and heaviest one to use. His previous personal record was 195, today for some reason he felt determined to beat it. Closing his eyes he began: 1...2...3...4...5...  
  
Hermione fidgeted in the large armchair by the fire. She had been trying to read with little success. She was worried about Draco; he had been gone almost 3 hours. She didn't know where he was and she prayed that Lucius had not found him again. After another 20 minutes of reading the same sentence again and again she decided to go to Malfoy Manor and get something a little more enticing then the philosophy textbook that lay in her lap. She got up and grabbed a jacket. The walk to the manor wasn't long and it was a warm and sunny day. As she approached her stomach lurched. The last time she was here Draco had suffered a beating from his father and had been left barely alive. She hoped that there wouldn't be a repeat of that again any time soon. She climbed the steps, walked towards the library and entered, hoping that her presence had gone unnoticed. Unknown to her however, a figure was watching from the balcony. She wandered over towards the section where all of the family events were recorded. She ran her fingers over the spines of many titles: "The Life and Death of Lucifer Malfoy", "The Fires of the Sky: an account of the last battle" were some of the ones that caught her attention. She suddenly stopped as she heard footsteps behind her descending the stairs.  
  
"Well, well, well...if it isn't Ms. Granger", said Lucius from behind her.  
  
She turned and faced him "Mr. Malfoy" she nodded in acknowledgement.  
  
"You do know that it's rude to sneak into someone's house without their knowledge or permission" said Lucius with the Malfoy trademarked smirk.  
  
"I'm sorry, I didn't think that anyone would mind, I only came to borrow a book to read, I'll return it, I promise" said Hermione nervously.  
  
She raised her left hand to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Before she realised what she had done Lucius grabbed her hand and was inspecting something on her ring finger. That was when she realised...  
  
"Well, well, well, I see that my godforsaken son has 'popped' the question at last. I'd never thought that I'd see the day when a Malfoy would stoop so low", sneered Lucius. "Allow me to give you a proper welcome to the family..."  
  
Hermione saw the grip on his staff tighten and she backed away only to find a wall blocking her escape. Her heart raced as she watched Lucius with an evil grin come closer and closer... 


	6. Like Father Like Son?

Disclaimer's Notice: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters featuring in the books or the films. They belong to J.K Rowling and her wonderful mind. Only the plot is mine so venture into it if you dare...  
  
Chapter 6  
  
200...201...202...203. The dictionary slipped from Draco's hands and fell to the ground with a thud causing the sand around it to rise. He dropped to the ground gasping for air. He smiled to himself and clutched his chest. He had finally beaten his personal record. It was a good feeling! He stood up and began to stretch as a method of cooling down. He pushed the loose strands of his silvery-blonde hair back and put the dictionary back in its place by the tree roots and began to walk home across the dense mass of trees.  
  
Lucius took another tentative step towards Hermione unsure of her reaction. She tried to pull away from his grasp and make a run for the full length oak doors of the library. She squirmed but Lucius' grasp was tight and confident.  
  
"Please Mr. Malfoy...let me go" whined Hermione as she looked pleadingly into his eyes. "What do you want with me?"  
  
Lucius held his gaze, his steely grey eyes flashed as Hermione pleaded with him. His eyes were similar to his only son and heir's but unlike his son his mind was a lot fouler in nature. He smiled evilly and advanced.  
  
Draco was walking quickly towards the house, when he entered he called Hermione's name and hear no answer. Upon walking into the study he saw a book lying open on the table. He guessed that Hermione was in the Manor looking for a book so he ran upstairs to grab a white tank-top before leaving the house. As he walked across the grounds the sun beat down upon his face warming him. He climbed up the steps and opened the front door. The darkness of the manor swept over him and he shivered. The sweat patch around his neck turned to ice and he began to feel cold. He arrived at the library door and his hand reached for the gold doorknob...  
  
"You're mine Granger..." whispered Lucius calmly into her ear. "My son does not see you for what you really are but I do...one way or another your time will come and then...heaven help you..."  
  
Hermione shivered as Lucius breathed heavily into her ear. He had her pressed against the wall and she felt very, very uncomfortable. She prayed that someone, anyone would come in and save her. Just then, as if her prayers had been answered the door knob turned and someone entered the library.  
  
"Father...what are you doing to my fiancé?"  
  
She never thought that she would be so glad to hear that voice again. Immediately Lucius backed away and released Hermione. She ran towards her future husband and locked her arms around him in embrace. He felt her heart pounding against his and sighed. Gently he pulled her away and moved towards his father.  
  
"I ask you again Lucius...what were you doing to my fiancé?" growled Draco.  
  
He stood there, his muscled tensed, ready for the kill, eyes flashing as if lighting itself was contained within them. Hermione looked at him wide- eyed; she had never seen him like this before. She was frightened. Lucius sneered at Draco and brushed past him walking towards the door. In two strides Draco caught up with him and turned to face him.  
  
"I am going to ask you one last time Father...what were you doing to my fiancé?" said Draco calmly.  
  
Lucius held his silence and held his gaze. All of a sudden, like the breaking of a storm, Draco grabbed his father's robes and pushed him up against the wall. He grabbed Lucius' neck and lifted him off the ground.  
  
"What's the matter Father, cat got your tongue?" said Draco evilly.  
  
Lucius was weakly trying to remove Draco's hands from his throat with little success; it seemed that Draco had inherited more than his father's eyes and physique.  
  
"Draco, Draco please! Leave him alone, you are killing him! Draco! He can't breathe! Let him go...you're better than this..." said Hermione her eyes welling up with tears.  
  
She looked at him and saw that there were tears were in his eyes but his expression was stern.  
  
"You bastard, you deserve to die" he whispered tears spilling down his cheeks.  
  
His face contorted further in anger as Lucius' eyes rolled into the back of his head.  
  
Hermione gently placed a hand on Malfoy's forearm and looked at him. He winced and then released Lucius. He turned to walk away leaving Lucius in a crumpled heap at the base of the wall and Hermione standing there in awe and shock. She moved to follow Draco when a frail voice began to speak.  
  
"Remember what I said Granger...remember..." with those words Hermione turned and ran after the man she loved. 


	7. Bad Dreams

Disclaimer's Notice: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters featuring in the books or the films. They belong to J.K Rowling and her wonderful mind. Only the plot is mine so venture into it if you dare...  
  
Chapter 7  
  
Draco suddenly jolted awake; he looked at the clock, it was 5:57am and Hermione was sleeping soundly next to him. He crept out of bed and reached for a T-Shirt. He stretched and got up, went to the door and down to the lounge. A house-elf named Sax was tiding up and lighting a fire. When he entered she jumped and bowed low. It was too early in the morning for such things so Malfoy simply smiled politely and asked for his breakfast.  
  
"Good Morning Sax, I think that two fried eggs sunny sides up with toast and marmalade will do nicely today. Oh and also a plunger of freshly ground coffee, thank you" said Draco his voice still husky from sleep.  
  
"Will Miss be joining you this morning Sir?" asked Sax timidly.  
  
"No, Hermione is still in bed, when she wakes up I will call for you" replied Draco.  
  
With her orders in hand Sax quickly exited the room towards the kitchens. Malfoy sprawled himself on the couch and picked up yesterday's paper. He hadn't had a chance to read it yet so as he idly thumbed through it his thoughts wandered. He thought of his father and what he had done to Hermione for she would not say a word once they got back to the cottage and she kept her silence all the way through dinner right up to the moment they went to bed. He was worried; she woke several times in the night now and kept feeling nauseous. He assumed that it had something to do with the pregnancy. When she woke up they would discuss the wedding date, he could feel his time slipping away and wanted to do this before his hour-glass emptied.  
  
Hermione was running through a long corridor, she came to a circular room with doors on all sides. She knew that they were close, oh so very close! 'Which one?! Which door is it, oh lord help me!' thought Hermione frantically. She looked down at her bundle and hugged it close. They would not have her child nothing would separate her from her baby. She heard foot-steps close behind her and voices shouting.  
  
"Get her you fools! Run!" said a voice that sounded extremely familiar.  
  
On hearing this she bolted for the door nearest to her. It was unlocked and she flew into the room it led to. Once inside the room her eyes searched for a safe hiding place when her gaze fell upon a curtain that hung from an archway blocking the rest of the room from view. She gasped, this was the room concealed deep within the Department of Mysteries; this was the room that Sirius had died in. She screamed as loudly as she could and continued to scream until she saw a figure looming above her. His face was obscured but she made out a voice that she was sure meant safety.  
  
"Hermione! Hermione, are you ok? Wake up Hermione! For God's sake woman can you hear me! Please for the love of magic wake up!" yelled Draco to Hermione's sleeping form.  
  
He had been in the middle of his breakfast when he heard screaming coming from the bedroom. He dropped his fork and bolted up his heart pounding and awful thoughts racing through his mind. If anything happened to her he wasn't sure what he would do. When he got to the bedroom he saw Hermione clutching a pillow, twisted in the sheets screaming as if her life depended on it. He ran to her side and shook her violently until her eyes fluttered open. She was completely drenched in cold sweat and was shaking severely.  
  
"Oh Draco, it was awful...Sirius! Oh my God Sirius! I...was...in...the...department...of...mysteries...and...oh my God Sirius! Draco, I wish that you could have seen it! It was horrible, he fell and Harry was there and he saw and oh God...!" wailed Hermione into Malfoy's shoulder.  
  
"Shh...it's alright, I'm here. What was the dream about?" said Draco in a low and soothing voice.  
  
"Well, I dreamt that I was in a long corridor and I came to the end and there were doors on all sides, just like in the department of mysteries. I heard a voice that sounded like Lucius and he yelled at some men who were chasing me. I ran through the nearest door and it happened to be the room that the prophecies were kept in. It was where Sirius fell and the Death Eaters fought us and the members of the Order in our 5th year. Remember...?" whispered Hermione trying to hold back tears.  
  
"Yea, I remember, that was the year some Slytherins and I were working for that disgusting Umbridge woman. What did she call us? Oh yeah! I remember...the Inquisitorial Squad. Right loads of prats we were back then..." replied Malfoy hoarsely.  
  
"Yes...well...the thing is that I haven't dreamed about that since 5th year summer and I am scared. I mean, what if it means something...that Death Eater sounded just like Lucius, Draco, I am so scared!" said Hermione breaking into a fresh wave of tears.  
  
"Hermione, who cares what it means! Nothing can hurt you as long as I'm here! Do you hear me!? Nothing, and if my father wants a piece of you for his trophy case...well...he'll have to get through me first! I will do anything to protect my family! MY family, understand?! That means you and this little thing growing inside of you!" said Malfoy firmly.  
  
"Who will take care of us when you're gone...I don't wanna lose you! I would follow you into the after-life if I could! I will never leave you, where ever you go I will always be there beside you!" wept Hermione, eyes down- cast.  
  
"I'm not going anywhere, I am right here and I don't mean to leave you ever!" said Draco through gritted teeth holding back tears.  
  
He hugged her close and let her cry into his chest. He lifted her chin and smiled warmly at her brushing away his own tears that had stealthily crept down is face.  
  
"Now, do you wanna come down for some breakfast?" asked Draco softly.  
  
Hermione nodded softly and got out of bed. She reached for her dressing gown that lay draped over the armchair by the window. Stepping into some fluffy bedroom slippers she followed Malfoy out of the room and down the stairs. When they reached the lounge Sax was tending to the fire. Hermione ordered her breakfast while Draco sat down to finish his.  
  
"Hermione?" said Draco his eyes still fixed on his eggs.  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"I was thinking, we really should get a move on with deciding the wedding dates and all. Not that I am in any rush or anything, it's just that I think we should do it before the little fella makes its first appearance." said Draco gesturing towards Hermione's stomach with his fork.  
  
"Well, how about next week Friday?"  
  
"Right, fine, so that gives us a full ten days to prepare. Good!"  
  
Draco placed his knife and fork on his plate and finished the remainder of his coffee in one gulp.  
  
"I'll go and make the necessary arrangements then. I trust that you will be able to handle the dress, maybe a call to some of your Hogwarts friends might help matters a little. I can think of some very interesting people who will be more than willing to help Malfoy's future wife pick out a suitable dress." Said Draco with a twinkle in his eye.  
  
He ran upstairs to get dressed, while Hermione settled down to some French Toast. He came back a few minutes later, gave Hermione a quick kiss, grabbed his cloak and his wand and walked towards the fireplace.  
  
"We will do the guest list tonight if you're free, my parents will have to be formally informed of course and we need to think about how we are going handle that very carefully. As you can imagine it is a delicate situation."  
  
He smiled and winked at her before grabbing a handful of Floo Powder. Throwing it over his shoulder he yelled "Diagon Alley" and stepped backwards into the Emerald Flames. Then he was gone, leaving Hermione alone with only her thoughts for company... 


	8. Reflection of Thoughts and a Flashback

Disclaimer's Notice: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters featuring in the books or the films. They belong to J.K Rowling and her wonderful mind. Only the plot is mine so venture into it if you dare...  
  
Chapter 8  
  
Hermione had had a pretty relaxed day while Draco had been out. She had tidied things up a bit and sorted out her cupboards. She sent a few owls off to Harry and Ron telling them of the engagement and the upcoming wedding to Malfoy. She could almost picture their reactions:  
  
"Hermione! Are you completely mad! This is Malfoy we're talking about, you can't marry him, he's the enemy!" was what Ron would say.  
  
Harry on the other hand would be more sensitive and yet more firm towards her decision: "Well, I don't understand your decision nor will I even think of asking why. Just make sure that this is what you really want! If he so much as looks at you in a manner that displeases you I will have him pay for it."  
  
She knew her friends well and their reactions would be probably be exactly as predicted or similar. Harry and Ron hadn't really ever liked Malfoy and there was nothing that she could do to change that. Even during their Auror training, the dislike that they had for each other was so evident that when teamed up for an exercise, Hermione wondered if they would all come back intact. She smiled at the thought of the African missions as her mind wandered to the day they started their relationship...almost 3 years ago on the face of Mount Kilimanjaro...  
  
Flashback  
  
Hermione stretched and looked out her tent door; she had woken up at the crack of dawn and had decided to go and have a shower under the small waterfall that flowed down through some rocks. The spot was quite secluded and she was sure that no one else would be able to see her as no one else knew where it was. As she left her tent with her change of clothes, she saw the first rays of the sun shining down from the sky. Upon reaching the small secluded waterfall, she discovered the water to be fresh and still relatively cool from the night. Striping down to her underwear she dived into the small pool that the waterfall fell into. After doing a few lengths to wake her up, she hauled herself onto the flat rock and stood underneath the flow of water. Letting it run down her face and all the while thinking of the day ahead Hermione looked up. She saw a man sitting on one of the top rocks with one leg dangling over the edge and one drawn up to his face; his chest was golden brown and his muscles rippled as he stretched. His thighs were firm and sinewy underneath his khaki shorts; facing the sun he was soaking up the early morning rays and taking deep breaths. Hermione let out a squeal as the man turned his face towards the ground because she had suddenly recognised who he was...it was Malfoy.  
  
The whole camp thought that he was dead; he had been gone for almost a month after leaving on a hunting mission along with three other members of groups belonging to other ministries of other countries. Now he was here and he looked very different...deliciously different, Hermione thought to herself. He had become browner, more toned and muscular, also for some reason the sun had given him brown highlights in his hair which had grown slightly longer. Looking at his hair intently Hermione decided that it was now a dirty blonde; no longer was it gelled back and this allowed the sun to catch on the loose strands giving him an ethereal look. He wore a leather thong around his neck that held what seemed to be a set of five claws. Hermione frowned at this then continued to look at him; he seemed upset because unless she was mistaken, he was crying silently. Stunned she suddenly had the urge to call out to him; without a second thought she cupped her hands around her mouth and yelled.  
  
"Malfoy!"  
  
His head suddenly flicked up as he heard his name being called. Wiping the tears away, he looked around and then finally down to the pool below. There he saw a woman, a beautiful woman who was half dressed apparently bathing but now looking up at him with concerned eyes.  
  
"Granger, what a pleasant surprise, what may I ask are you doing here...and all alone?" said Malfoy coolly, looking down at her with his trademark sneer and an unfamiliar glint in his eye.  
  
"I was just about to ask you the same question!" replied Hermione ignoring his expression and tone of voice.  
  
"I don't know, I'm lost...doesn't look like you are though...nice knickers." said Malfoy eyeing her up and down.  
  
Hermione blushed and tried to draw away his gaze by changing the subject.  
  
"Why haven't you come back to camp? You've been gone almost a month and everyone thinks that you're dead! What happened to the other three? Where did you go?" asked Hermione with genuine interest.  
  
"You really want to know?" asked Malfoy spitefully. "Are you sure that my story won't be too awful for your delicate little mudblood ears!"  
  
"Try me Malfoy..." replied Hermione sternly.  
  
"I separated from the other three to go scouting ahead; I stumbled into the midst of a large pack of lions that began chasing me for infiltrating their territory. I tried to fires a hot from my rifle to scare them off but when I did it didn't faze them at all; I stumbled over a tree root, my head struck a large rock as I fell and lost consciousness; the last thing that I heard was the roar of the male lion as he closed in on me. When I woke up I saw three mauled bodies lying face down around me, I turned them over and discovered that they were my three companions. Nyasha had neck wounds that were used only by the lionesses when bringing down a threat to their cubs. Sorayi had two sets of claw marks that ran down parallel lines from the back of his shoulders to his waist, typical of the male as he must have leapt upon Sorayi's back and then slid down. That must have caused him to bleed to death because the wounds were not deep enough to be fatal on their own. Lastly, I went to the body of Tanaka, I prayed that she had lived and gone unharmed like me...she was my grilfr-...I mean..." Draco stopped suddenly.  
  
Hermione could tell that his breath had caught in his throat and he was holding back tears. She allowed him a few minutes peace as she climbed up to where he was sitting. When she reached him, still in her underwear and dripping from her recent shower, she placed a hand on his bare back tenderly and felt his muscles stiffen.  
  
"Go on...you're doing really well, I promise that I won't let anyone make you tell it again, what happened next?" asked Hermione softly and protectively.  
  
Malfoy took a deep breath, wiped his eyes with the back of his hand and continued: "I stood up and walked towards her, when I went to move her she winced with her eyes closed. I thanked Merlin that my prayers had been answered and I lifted her head up. Looking down, I saw her holding her side and gasping for breath, I removed her hand and saw...the lion had left her with four parallel gashes horizontally across her side. It was bleeding profusely and she was fading fast. There was nothing I could do as I had lost my wand and I didn't have any of the healing plants to help her. I stood up, removed my T-shirt and bound it tightly around her waist to help stop the bleeding. Picking her up I ran towards a line of smoke that I had spotted not far from where we were. I found a tribe of African Makombe; I asked for help in the only way I knew how...I showed the elders Takana's body; they took us in and then began to see what they could do to save her. I only intended to stay there for a few hours and then trek back but Tanaka was losing her frail grip on life fast and I was scared. We ended up being there for weeks trying to find a way to heal her. The bleeding had stopped but she had lost so much blood that unless she was transfused some there was no way that she'd last any longer. After about three weeks...there was nothing more they could do...I lost her" Malfoy's voice cracked with emotion.  
  
Hermione started to say something but was cut off by Malfoy struggling through the rest of his story.  
  
"I was so angry, filled with rage and contempt I grabbed my rifle and ran back to where we had been attacked. I searched for hours trying to find the lion that had done this to her; after a while I scented him and followed his tracks to his den. When I saw him lying there in the sun looking like some tyrannical king it only caused my rage to intensify. I carefully looked around and saw that the lionesses were gone, probably hunting. All that was left at the den were the cubs and the lion. I don't know what I was thinking... I only had one shot left in my rifle. After a silent prayer I took aim and squeezed the trigger...it killed him instantly...even after that...I was still angry...it wasn't enough... I had to do more. I carried his carcass back to the Makombe...they helped me skin him...I wrapped Tanaka's body in it...I buried her in the village and made preparations to leave. There was nothing else left for me there...before I left, Chief Tsvangirai strung the claws on a leather thong and presented them to me for being the only man to ever slay a lion...I now wear them to remind me forever of what I did for the one I loved..." finished Malfoy with a concluding tone in his voice.  
  
"How did you get here?" asked Hermione.  
  
"I have been travelling for 4 days and last night, I found this place...and you, by accident of course..."replied Draco.  
  
Hermione sat stunned; she had had no idea that Malfoy had such strong feelings for someone; if she hadn't known any better she would have said that Malfoy was incapable of love. She wanted to do something to make the pain go away and the only thing that she knew would make him feel better physically was a bath. She shifted closer to him and put her arms around his shoulder pulling him between her legs. She placed the back of his head on her chest and he sighed.  
  
"I think that you would feel better if you had a shower, it might help alleviate your physical pain at the least" said Hermione softly.  
  
There was no response but Malfoy allowed himself to be lifted from the ground and led towards the small pool at the bottom of the waterfall. Hermione looked into his eyes, they were desolate and empty; she had never seen him in so much pain. She let him stand at the edge and look into the water for a while. The sun had fully risen now and was warming the water fast. She looked awkwardly at him and removed his shorts to reveal black boxer shorts. Carefully leading him into the water she let him float, it seemed to bring him back to his senses and he suddenly dived below. Exploding out of the water he pushed his hair back out of his face and swam some lengths. Hermione meanwhile had gone back to her shower and was standing underneath the waterfall. Malfoy rubbed the water out of his eyes and looked at Hermione. She looked beautiful standing there like a goddess, bathing in the springs of Mount Olympus. He swam towards the flat rock where she stood and heaved himself out of the water. Pushing his wet hair out of his eyes, Malfoy looked over at Hermione. She was drying her hair on a towel; his swim had revived him and he suddenly realised who he was with and what she had done. He was disgusted with himself, diving back into the water he swam to the opposite bank. As he got out of the water he saw that Hermione was getting dressed. Shaking his head from side to side he successfully managed to remove all the excess water from his hair. He then sat down in the grass to allow the sun to dry his skin. As he lay there, soaking up the warmth of the early morning sun Hermione looked over at him and sighed.  
  
She didn't know how she was going to explain Draco's sudden appearance at the waterfall to the camp. She finished drying off and put her clothes on; walking over to where he was laying she knelt down next to him.  
  
"Draco...are you ok?" when she received no response she continued, "We really should be heading back to camp now."  
  
Malfoy's eyes opened as he stared up at her face; still wrought with grief he nodded and then got up, brushed himself off and prepared to leave. Hermione gathered her things together and made sure that she had everything before setting off with Malfoy right behind her.  
  
End Flashback  
  
Hermione sighed deeply as she slumped into the sofa in the living room. It was 1:30pm and Malfoy was still not back... 


	9. Thoughts of Africa

Disclaimer's Notice: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters featuring in the books or the films. They belong to J.K Rowling and her wonderful mind. Only the plot is mine so venture into it if you dare...  
  
Chapter 9  
  
Hermione stood up and stretched. She wandered over to the fireplace and stood before the roaring flames. Even though it was summer a thunderstorm that had raged during the night had caused the temperature to drop several degrees. She looked at her watch again, the hands had not moved at all and as she ran her fingers through her hair her stomach growled with hunger.  
  
"Hey little fella, you hungry?" Hermione asked with her hand on her stomach.  
  
Almost as if in response, her stomach growled again. She placed the blanket that was wrapped round her shoulders onto the sofa and walked towards the pantry. Sax was polishing the silver and when Hermione entered she bowed low and looked up expectantly.  
  
"What does Mistress Hermione require?" asked Sax.  
  
"Some lunch please Sax, I think a ham salad and some chicken and mayonnaise sandwiches will be fine, nothing too heavy."  
  
"Where will you be dining today Miss?"  
  
"In the living room will be fine, Thank you."  
  
Sax put away the polished silver and returned the cleaning materials to the cleaning cupboard. She bowed and then left the room through the door behind the bar. Hermione walked back to the living room. Instead of going back to the sofa she strode towards the wall adjacent to the fireplace. There on the wall were the only two items she had gone to see. Malfoy's necklace of lion claws and the rifle that he had carried with him on the day of Tanaka's death. He had not used it since and the chamber still carried the empty shell of the bullet that he had used to slay the mighty beast. Allowing her thoughts to wander again she drifted back to Africa and the camp, once Malfoy had returned.  
  
Flashback  
  
Three weeks had passed since Malfoy had returned to the camp with Hermione. She had kept her word and not told a soul about what had happened and no one dared ask any questions. Harry and Ron were concerned for Hermione; they frequently caught her looking over at Malfoy in curious ways. Hermione had brushed their concern aside and told them to leave Malfoy alone. It was only out of respect for Hermione that they did as she asked. As for Malfoy, he carried his grief locked deep within his soul. Still strutting around the camp and executing missions and training sessions with a sense of perfection that only a Malfoy could achieve, no one suspected anything was amiss. He still hung out with his friends, but never got drunk; he believed that it was common to indulge oneself to the point of no control. He still commanded respect and everyone feared his temper, just as always.  
  
One night however, almost a month later, Hermione saddled up her polo pony and went for a ride. She eased her horse 'Juno' into a trot and headed towards the riding fields that were surrounded by fences. As she approached and dismounted to unlock the gate, Juno's ears pricked up and she began snorting and stamping. Hermione looked at the horse and tried in vain to calm her down. Looking in the direction that Juno's ears were pointing she saw another horse that she immediately recognised as 'Baron'. He was a world-class polo pony and belonged to the one person that she didn't want to run into in the middle of the night...Malfoy.  
  
Unlocking the gate she led Juno through and then pulled the gate securely shut behind her, waiting for the lock to click she remounted and then walked over to where Baron was galloping around the field. Malfoy was playing polo in the twilight; she heard continuous cracks that issued from the mallet of the stick every time it made contact with the ball. Baron reared up and his regal neigh sounded through the night as he caught sight of Juno. Malfoy looked up and in the dim light she could see that he was wearing a pair of dark blue jeans, dark brown chaps and ankle length riding boots, he was also armed with a Glock semi-automatic handgun strapped to his waist in a holster. Looking closely she also saw that the Glock had his family crest emblazoned on the butt and that he carried extra magazines. He pulled Baron to halt in front of Hermione and balanced his stick across the saddle; using his now free hand he ran his fingers through his now wet hair and smirked at her.  
  
"Like what you see Granger?" asked Malfoy haughtily.  
  
"Very much so" grinned Hermione in a flirtatious manner.  
  
"Isn't it a bit late to be riding?" asked Malfoy with an eyebrow raised.  
  
"I was just about to ask you the same question. Not trying to run away again are we?"  
  
Malfoy looked at her and then leant back in the saddle allowing the moonlight to shine on his bare chest. Baron began to fidget as Juno pulled on her bit repeatedly. Choosing to ignore her question he eyed her horse up and down.  
  
"You're mare is in season Granger, not a very good idea to let these two get too close."  
  
"I know, she's irritable and needs some exercise. I thought that we could run it out of her."  
  
"We?" inquired Malfoy.  
  
"Yes Malfoy...we..."  
  
Malfoy smiled at her, not the cold sneer that he usually saved for her, a real smile. Looking at her hard he saw that she was wearing a T-shirt that hugged all the right places, a pair of jeans and knee length riding boots.  
  
"Granger, I didn't know you to take risks. Riding on a seasoned mare, without a helmet could be potentially dangerous."  
  
"I didn't know you cared Malfoy, I was just going to comment on the same thing, riding a stallion near a seasoned mare without a helmet could be potentially dangerous too."  
  
Malfoy grinned at her comeback and then glanced over his shoulder. Hermione sensing his desire to return safely adjusted her girth then urged her horse forward, shoulder to shoulder with Malfoy's so that she was facing him; she grabbed his polo stick and lobbed it away from them. Baron began to flick his tail in anticipation. Juno began to shift sideways, urging Baron to follow. Baron took a step forwards and Malfoy tightened his grip on him with his knees. Baron, sensing his master's displeasure stopped and nickered after Juno. Hermione turned around and cocked her head at Malfoy. Malfoy grunted and looked towards his polo stick.  
  
"You can't expect to run the excitement out of her in a polo field, Granger. We need an open plain where they can run till they stop."  
  
Hermione laughed out loud and gestured all around her.  
  
"Look around you Malfoy, we're in Africa, how much more space could you want?"  
  
She had a point and Malfoy knew it. Baron was pulling against the reins as if his life depended on it and Malfoy was straining to keep hold of him. He looked at Hermione in the eyes and for a second she could have sworn something passed between them. He nodded silently and Hermione pushed Juno into a trot away from the boys. Baron was pulling as hard as ever and the reins began to slip from Draco's hands.  
  
"Move it Granger, this horse has got serious testosterone issues. Get that gate open now!"  
  
Hermione cantered towards the gate and quickly unlocked it. She propped it open on the timer and trotted about ten feet away from it. Malfoy still holding the reins in his left hand pushed them up Baron's neck. The horse reared to his full length, which was considerable seeing as he was 17.2 hands high, and then shot off like a bullet from Malfoy's Glock. Thundering towards the gate bolted through it just as the gate swung shut. Hermione pushed Juno into a gallop just as Baron cleared the gate and raced off west of the camp. The path was clear and as Baron as had no intention of stopping any time soon Malfoy urged him on with a cowboy whoop of delight. Hermione leant forward and urged Juno onwards; Malfoy was hot on her tail and as she looked over her shoulder she saw that he was gaining on her. Uttering a shriek of delight she pushed Juno to her limits; Malfoy in the meantime was sitting firmly in the saddle riding cowboy style as he held the reins and pushed Baron onwards with the help of his spurs. Baron, his muscles splitting with testosterone raced after the mare with all the speed he possessed. He caught up with her soon the two horses were matched stride for stride. It was perfect...  
  
"Now what Granger, what's the point of this useless waste of horsepower?"  
  
"Point Malfoy?" said Hermione her hair streaming behind her; "This is just for fun!"  
  
She moved Juno closer to Baron and began to ride Malfoy off. It was a reckless move seeing as neither had helmets but it was physically the closest they had ever been. Out here, Hermione felt free; Malfoy looked at her and smiled. Baron was enjoying himself thoroughly as the confines of the polo field only allowed horses to accelerate to top speed for a few seconds before they had to slow down again for a shot. After riding hard for a few miles the horses began to tire and they eventually stopped by a watering hole. Dismounting the two riders stretched their knees a bit, walked the horses around the watering hole a few times round to cool them down before finally allowing them to drink from the cool and refreshing water. Malfoy crouched down by the water and splashed water on his face. Hermione watched him intently and then wandered over to Juno to remove her saddle and cloth. She was breathless with lust and desire; looking back towards the water she saw the muscles in his back and shoulders ripple as he pushed his hair out of his eyes. Unknown to her, Malfoy was also watching her every move from the water's edge. He felt something stir in the pit of his stomach that he had not felt in a long, long time. Shaking the feeling off he watched her unsaddle Juno; when she removed the saddle cloth from Juno's steaming body. Rubbing the horse down to ease her muscles, Hermione caught Malfoy staring at her.  
  
"See, it wasn't such a bad idea, at least she's not hyper anymore and it seems that Baron has calmed down a lot as well."  
  
On mention of his horse's name, Malfoy walked over to where he was standing. Imitating Hermione's movements he removed the saddle and rubbed the horse down the same way only faster. Once he was finished he removed the horse's bridle and gave him a slap on the bum. Baron nickered thanks and wandered over to a field where he began to graze. Hermione looked in awe as Baron remained close to the watering hole.  
  
"He's well trained. He won't go anywhere unless I either take him or let him go."  
  
Hermione looked at Juno then removed her bridle as well. The mare needed no goading for as soon as she was free of the leather straps she walked over to where Baron was grazing and together they put their heads down and began to feed. Malfoy had made preparations for a camp fire and was currently bent over a pile of wood that he was lighting. When it had successfully lit he went over to where Baron's saddle was. Pulling out his wand from a holder he aimed it at a small saddle bag that she had not seen; muttering an incantation a small shot of silver light hit the bag and it grew larger. Shuffling through its contents he pulled out a large sleeping bag and some packages of food. He hoisted the sleeping bag over his shoulder and picked up the bags of food.  
  
"I rarely leave home without supplies, you never know when they're going to come in useful" said Malfoy grinning.  
  
Hermione looked shocked. "We're not sleeping here are we? I mean, we really should be getting back."  
  
"Are you crazy? There is no way I am travelling at night. It's pitch black and we could get attacked by...lions"  
  
At the mention of lions Malfoy stiffened and his hand reached for the thong of lion claws that were still around his neck. Hermione stayed silent as he busied himself at the fire. Within 15 minutes he had prepared a warm broth with meat, noodles and lentils.  
  
"Everything the body needs: protein, carbohydrates and a small portion of indulgence" said Malfoy gesturing towards some of the noodles.  
  
Hermione smiled and they settled down to dinner; they ate in silence and then made preparations for bed.  
  
"I only have one sleeping bag because I never travel with company."  
  
Hermione took a deep breath, removed her boots and settled herself by the campfire; she rested her back on Juno's saddle and looked towards Malfoy. He was by the lake washing up the things they had used; after he was done he shrunk them and then put them away. Placing his wand on the ground he sighed, removed his chaps and placed them next to Baron's saddle cloth. Removing his boots he propped himself up on his saddle and stretched his crossed legs so his feet were closer to the fire. They had unconsciously positioned themselves on opposite sides of the fire; Malfoy was staring into the now glowing embers as Hermione studied his face; she felt the stirrings of lust once again deep within her stomach and her body ached to be one with his. She was deep in thought and hadn't noticed that Malfoy too was staring at her. As their eyes met over the flames Malfoy felt his crotch tighten. She looked so beautiful, so desirable that he was surprised at his longing for her. They sat there for some time, looking at each other, their gazes battling for dominance over one another. Finally Malfoy stood up; his gaze was still locked in combat with Hermione's. In one leap he leapt over the fire and was standing before her not knowing why he had acted on an impulse.  
  
They were both breathing hard and were motionless for a few seconds. Hermione then stood up and moved closer so that her lips were only a few centimetres away from Draco's. Again, they stood still for what seemed like an eternity. It was Malfoy who made the next move; he moved closer to Hermione and moved his hand up towards her face. Brushing a loose strand of hair out of her eyes he smiled and then closed his eyes. Hermione was panting with want and she too closed her eyes. Before she had time to react, Malfoy's lips were locked with hers; both began to explore the depths that encompassed them as they slowly and subconsciously began to move towards the sleeping bag.  
  
When Malfoy's feet felt the soft material beneath them he pulled away and looked at Hermione hard and long.  
  
"Are you sure you want to do this?"  
  
"Why, don't you?"  
  
"More than anything in the world!"  
  
"Then...don't ask, just...keep going, please! Don't stop!" she moaned.  
  
Hermione was breathless with emotion and need. Malfoy too was overcome by the stirrings in his stomach as he pulled her body towards his and rammed his lips down hard on hers. All the physical and sexual tension that had been building up that evening exploded into pure lust and passion as Malfoy attacked her lips. Their bodies were straining against all the clothing; Malfoy pulled Hermione down towards the sleeping bag and she fell on top of his body with a force that only increased his aggressive tactics. His hands worked their way up her shirt and found the nook in her lower back. He wrapped his arms around her middle and hugged her close to him. He moved his head to her shoulder and whispered sweet nothings in her ear. Hermione began to rub her pelvis on his groin; Draco began to breathe faster a bulge started appearing in his jeans. She stopped and raised her head so they were looking into each other's eyes. Removing her shirt she lowered herself onto Draco and began to bite softly on his neck. She bit harder as a moan of pleasure escaped her lips. The bite became harder and she began to suck simultaneously, Malfoy's moan grew louder and louder. She began to taste blood and so she let go. Observing her work she saw the initial stage of what was to be a most impressive hickey. Malfoy then flipped her over so he was on top of her. He removed his trousers and slid them down his legs so that he was only wearing a pair of black boxers. Hermione rose up and undid the clasp of her bra. Malfoy removed it with his teeth and then began working at her breasts. She felt him nibble his way down to her belly button. When he passed the point of no return she felt her nipples harden and her treasure chest pulsate with intense lust and desire. Malfoy undid the buttons of her jeans and slid them down her slender, tanned and beautiful legs. He moved back up while he removed her underwear. Still locked in an intense gaze, Hermione placed her thumbs in the waistband of his boxers. After a moment she gave him a coy smile and pushed downwards. Malfoy kicked the boxers off his ankles and raised his pelvis off the ground.  
  
Hermione knew that this was the moment that would change her life and her relationship with Malfoy forever. Accepting the consequences she opened her legs in anticipation. Closing her eyes she waited for what she knew was going to be the most wonderful and yet most painful experience of her life.  
  
Malfoy presumed that Hermione was a virgin so he entered with gentle ease. She began to gasp with pleasure. He soon felt a barrier that was restricting him from total paradise. He took a deep breath and thrust in with a mighty force. Hermione screamed in pain and pleasure as she called out his name. He stayed motionless for a while and lowered himself onto her naked body. He was amazed, she enveloped him completely. No woman had ever matched his size with her depth; they fit together perfectly and he was surprised. Still inside her he began to kiss and caress her body and lips. She squeezed his back with one hand while the other was tangled in his blonde hair. She broke the kiss and their gaze locked for the third time. Their noses were touching and they were breathing hard. Malfoy placed his elbows by her head and ran his fingers through her chocolate brown hair. He began to move up and down, slowly at first and then with more speed and force as they established a rhythm with which their bodies continued to move to all night. Soon after, Malfoy began to feel pressure building in his pelvis. Hermione too felt ready to burst and with one final thrust, Malfoy came with such force that he was amazed he had never experienced it before. He screamed her name at exactly the same time that she screamed his. Their voiced echoed through the darkness as Malfoy collapsed on top of Hermione. Both their bodies were glistening with sweat and they were both breathing heavily. Their noses were still touching and their bodies were still connected. Hermione kissed Malfoy once again as she drifted into a deep sleep; Malfoy too felt groggy and as he also began to drift off into the land of nod, neither said a word. After all, it was only lust...  
  
End Flashback  
  
Hermione shivered with excitement as she thought of that night. She jumped as the door opened to reveal Sax with her lunch. She had just settled down to eat when the fireplace erupted and turned green. Standing before her was Draco, back from his trip to Diagon Alley. Hermione threw her napkin to the floor and leapt upon Draco.  
  
"Hey! What's this for?" he asked as Hermione threw her arms around his neck and snuggled into his shoulder.  
  
"For being you. I love you so much that it hurts Draco!" squealed Hermione, frustrated that she couldn't express her love for this man.  
  
"Wow, so I guess that we won't be fighting over the guest list huh?"  
  
Hermione lifted her head and looked at Malfoy. She smiled and kissed him deeply.  
  
"I'll take that as a no then!?"  
  
"You must be hungry, do you want some lunch?"  
  
"Lunch would be great, no actually, lunch with you would be perfect" said Draco as he threw his cloak onto one of the arm chairs.  
  
They settled themselves on the couch and began to eat. After lunch they snuggled up with the blanket and stared into the fire. Each one had different thoughts and as they allowed their minds a free rein, they watched the flames licking the wood slowly in the metal grate that was the fireplace. 


	10. The Day Before

**Disclaimer's Notice: **I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters featuring in the books or the films. They belong to J.K Rowling and her wonderful mind. Only the plot is mine so venture into it if you dare…

**A/N:** Sorry for the late update. Have been studying for mid-terms and needed the credits to pass the year. But, here it is…finally!!!

**Chapter 10**

The next few days passed by in a blur, wedding invitations were sent out, food was ordered and housing arrangements were made. The only problem that still loomed over the couple's head was the venue for the wedding and the reception. Hermione ordered her wedding dress and Draco gave his measurements for a tuxedo. Flowers were ordered and arranged; wedding rings were bought and all the while Hermione and Draco practised their vows to proclaim their everlasting love for each other. Before they knew it they were down with three days to go and everyone was in a panic and frenzy. Draco's parents had refused to accept their daughter-in-law to be and therefore refused to help in any way. Initially, Hermione had been worried about costs but Malfoy had his inheritance which covered everything with plenty to spare; enough to give the two of them the life that they wanted and had always dreamed of.

Hermione woke up the day before her wedding to find Malfoy still sleeping soundly next to her. Her stomach showed a slight bulge as she was a month pregnant. No one knew, not even Harry and Ron, they all thought that she'd put on a little bit of weight during her time with Malfoy due to the luxurious lifestyle that they led. She hadn't wanted to tell anyone because she knew that they would all judge her for it. If she kept it a secret when she did eventually announce it, people would have presumed conception on their wedding night. She felt confident that no one would do the math and find out the real truth and that was fine with her. She got out of bed and went to the bathroom. She washed her face and did her teeth after which she spent the next twenty minutes looking at herself in the mirror to decide how much her pregnancy actually showed. After deciding that it didn't really show that much, she donned a bathrobe and walked over to the four-poster bed where Draco was still asleep. She sat on his side of the bed and brushed some of his hair off of his face so she could see him properly.

Studying his face she began to question why she loved him so much, she tried to think of reasons. He was a nightmare to her during school, they didn't have the same friends or the same interests and they certainly weren't in the same house. Their personalities were complete opposites as well so it couldn't have been any of those things. She thought about their time in Africa, was it pity that had drawn her to him? Was it her admiration for his capability to deal with loss? Was it looks or was it charm? He had certainly never been charming towards her before they had shared their first night together! It certainly wasn't money as her parents were quite well off and would have supported her once their anger had passed…after all, no parent can ever stay mad at their child; it's unnatural. She finally decided that it didn't really matter why; all that mattered was that she loved him so much that she couldn't put it into words. Every moment apart from him drove her crazy. She bent over and planted a soft kiss on his forehead. He stirred and shifted slightly; she pulled the covers down to reveal his bare chest, surprisingly ever since they had returned from Africa he had never returned to his ghostly pale colour. He still carried a hint of brown in his skin which made him look even better than he already did. The fact that he was sleeping in pure white sheets made him look even more brown; Hermione decided that it was all rather sexy and it took every ounce of self-control and will power not to jump him right then.

She ran her hand over his bare chest and stopped over where his heart was. There was a thin black scar over the spot that glistened with evil. It still looked fresh even though it wasn't. She rested her hand and listened to his steady deep breathing and felt his heart pump gently beneath her hand. Finally she could bear it no longer; crawling into bed next to him and entwining her legs with his, she rested her chin on his chest as she watched him sleep. Moving herself closer to his face she began to place gentle kisses all over his cheeks and mouth. He began to stir and finally opened his eyes. Silver into brown, he smiled. Moving his arm from underneath the pillow he wrapped it around her and yawned. With his free arm he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes.

"What time is it?"

"Almost eleven, what time did you come to bed last night? I didn't hear you."

"About two, I was busy checking the guest list and then the florist called."

"That late, what did he want?"

"Nothing important, just wanted to know if the flowers we ordered we the white lilies _and_ the white roses or just the lilies."

"What did you say?"

"I said to get both, just in case" said Malfoy smiling at Hermione.

She smiled back at him and their lips met for a brief kiss. Hermione raised herself off of him and moved towards her walk-in closet to get dressed. Malfoy stretched hard and then heaved himself out of bed. He padded to the bathroom and tuned the tap on. For a while all the noise that could be heard from their room was the water rushing and the squeaks of hangers on their rails. When both were dressed and ready they went downstairs for breakfast.

They sat opposite each other on their small dining table eating blueberry pancakes and strawberries. Malfoy sipped his strong black coffee while Hermione drank her smoothie and opened the mail.

"There's a letter from the planners..."

"What does it say?" asked Malfoy turning the page of his newspaper and pushing his empty plate away.

Hermione took a mouthful of pancake and replied: "Says that they've found a perfect place for the reception and they want us to come and see it at six this evening."

"Fine, that's perfect, I have a couple of meetings at the ministry so I'll meet you there."

"Alright, I've got to go to Diagon Alley to pick up the bridesmaids' dresses so I'd better make a move soon" said Hermione as she scribbled down an answer and gave it to the owl that had delivered it.

Watching the owl soar out of the open window, she finished her breakfast hurriedly and then went upstairs to grab her shoes and handbag. She pulled her coat off the hook on the wall and put her wand in her pocket. Walking over to the breakfast table she gave Malfoy a long kiss and then ruffled his hair and smiled. As he ran his fingers through it she smiled at him and then walked towards the fireplace. With a rush of green flames she was gone and Malfoy was alone.

He finished his coffee, cleared his throat and stood up. He brushed his dark blue jeans down and straightened his black shirt. He went upstairs, grabbed his watch and wallet from his bedside table and put his tan coloured Todd's on. Walking downstairs he informed the house elf in the living room that neither of them would be home for lunch. He grabbed his Auror's cloak (which he only wore when working or on official business) and put his wand in it's holster within the inner pleats. He walked to the fireplace and grabbed a handful of Floo Powder. Throwing it into the flames he shouted: "Ministry of Magic" and just like that he too was gone.

Within seconds, he had arrived outside the ministry in an old abandoned shop with his breakfast churning in his stomach from the ride. He looked through the windows to make sure no one had seen him and marched smartly out of the door to the telephone box. He entered, punched in the code that he knew all too well and stated his name and business.

"Draco Malfoy, Auror. Here to see the minister on his request."

The woman's voice seductively thanked him and a small silver badge dropped out of the change slot. He pinned it to the front of his cloak as the floor descended into the main entrance of the ministry. Malfoy barely ever came to the ministry as all of his orders were given to him at Grimmauld Place during the Order meetings. An invitation to the ministry came as a surprise as he had only been there a half a dozen times in his entire career. He knew that this was because the wizarding community were still fearful of the Malfoys. Their power and influence had been great at it's height and even though they were now welcomed with open arms by those at the top the rest of them were still uneasy with the idea of having one working amidst them. Still, he was curious of the minister's request as it was one he had only received once. That was when he had just graduated and was being presented with his badge, certificate and cloak.

He walked towards the guard and presented his wand for recording. After having it examined and noted, it was returned to him and it's proper place within his cloak where it was easily accessible, not that he'd need it bit ever since the Death Eaters had managed to infiltrate the ministry, he was ever watchful of everyone around him. He scanned the room with a practised eye and no suspicious movement. After having considered it safe he strode to the elevator and waited for it. Thankfully, when it arrived it was empty and there was no one else waiting for it. He stepped inside and the doors closed. He removed a small gold coin from his pocket which was plain save for a small welsh dragon that protruded slightly from one side. He turned the dragon upside down and cleared his throat. The same woman's voice asked him coolly to state which floor he wanted to go to.

"In Intellectu" was all he said.

The woman proceeded to ask for a password and a name. He replied in the same deep, monosyllabic voice:

"Malfoy, Draco. Password: Presaeous"

He inserted the dragon coin upside down into a gelatine mould and turned it 180˚ clockwise. When the dragon was facing the right way up he removed it and place it back in his pocket. The mechanism registered the pattern, individual to every Auror in existence usually symbolic to one's name or family crest, and a small drawer released from below it. There was a small indent in the almost smooth drawer in the shape of a thumbprint. He placed his right thumb in the indent and felt a small prick as the mechanism took a sample of blood. Almost immediately the woman's voice came over the speakers again.

"Welcome Mr. Malfoy, the minister is expecting you."

Doors that Malfoy didn't know about were opened on the opposite wall to the regular doors to reveal a stone corridor. He stepped outside the elevator and the doors closed immediately behind him to reveal nothing but a stone wall that didn't seem to have any cracks.

"Ingenious, once you get in, there's no getting out until your business is complete" said Malfoy as he smiled to himself and started walking down the long corridor. As he walked passed a torch it extinguished and the one in front of him lit up. He continued down the corridor and he felt it gently slope downwards. He kept walking for what seemed like an eternity until finally he saw a large oak door with a single copper plate at eye level. It read: 'Cornelius Fudge, Minister for Magic'. Malfoy looked at the door and found a metal ring that was connected to a latch. He gripped the ring and turned it to the left. The latch lifted with a loud clang and he pushed the door open. He stepped inside…


	11. The Meeting

**Disclaimer's Notice: **I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters featuring in the books or the films. They belong to J.K Rowling and her wonderful mind. Only the plot is mine so venture into it if you dare…

**Chapter 11**

"Good afternoon Minister" said Malfoy.

"Hello my boy! Good journey I trust? Can I offer you anything? Tea? Coffee? Or perhaps something stronger?" asked Fudge heartily.

"No Sir, I'm fine, thank you" said Malfoy standing to attention with his hands behind his back.

"At ease my boy, at ease. Here, have a seat" replied Fudge gesturing towards an armchair on the opposite side of his desk.

Malfoy took the cue and sat down smartly, hands folded in his lap and his gaze locked on the Minister. They talked about meaningless things for a while; the Minister asked after Hermione and the upcoming wedding. Gossip was exchanged, international relations were discussed, the usual conversation that men have together when no women are present. After a while there came a natural pause as the two men pondered what they had conversed about. The Minister was looking at Malfoy in a new light; he was proud and strong, yet courteous and humble at the same time. There was certainly not a trace of arrogance that was so common in the Malfoys nor did their trademark sneer come up once during their small talk. He decided that this Malfoy was a lot better than the one he used to deal with a long time ago. Fudge, had been quite young when he was made Minister compared to the other candidates. However, after a series of mistakes and misjudgements, he had become a truly wise and powerful Minister. He carried the burden well and it didn't show one bit, in fact, the only thing that had really changed about him was the increased number of lines in the corners of his eyes and the creases in his brow from hours of continuous concentration and negotiation. After the pause the Minister placed his hands on the table and sighed looking at Malfoy. Draco's eyebrows knitted as he couldn't place the Minister's expression as anger, grief or exasperation.

"Mr. Malfoy, I'm afraid that I have some bad news."

"What is it? Is it something to do with the Order, is it Hermione?"

"Calm down son, it's nothing serious. I had an owl from your father yesterday. You have my word that it will stay a secret but there is something that I need to know from you right now."

"Yes? What is it?"

"Is Ms Granger pregnant with your child?"

The question came as a shock to Malfoy. How did the Minister know? Did his father know and if so why did it concern anyone else but the two of them? His unborn child was definitely his and the heir to his name, fortune, legacy and estate. His answer was simple:

"Yes. But how did you know?"

"Ahh, well, you see Mr Malfoy, when I received the invitation for your wedding I was naturally thrilled for you but something that I had read in one of you field commander's reports about an attack made over three months ago, by your squad I might add, nudged my memory and my curiosity. Being the Minister for Magic I have certain privileges that I exercised, I hope that you are not offended."

"Not at all Sir!"

"Yes, well, I asked to see the report, it was the attack made on the last band of Death Eaters that you participated in and you were hit by a potent spell created by a certain Death Eater named Seth. I trust that you remember his name, in Azkaban now, lifeless, soulless but certainly not dead. I got in touch with Healer Morden who I believe supervised your treatment at St. Mungo's. He told me about the 'care-meter' in your system and the attempts to heal the unknown curse. It shocked me and I was concerned for the wellbeing of you and your fiancé. If I am not mistaken, which I'm sure I'm not, I believe that Healer Morden gave you a definite life-span of a maximum of 5 years before your heart deteriorated beyond functioning. Well, this also, greatly concerned me as you are one of the finest that we have on the force and to lose you would be an irreplaceable loss." The Minister paused for thought. After a pause and a quick sip of water he continued.

"I decided that I would not trouble you with my concern as you had enough to worry about as it is. I don't suppose that you've told Ms Granger have you?" Malfoy shook his head. "Hmm…I thought as much. Oh well, Mr Malfoy senior owled me a few weeks ago informing me of your engagement. He asked me to intervene based on the ancient law of pure-blood marriage."

Malfoy frowned; he hadn't heard of the law and didn't know anything about it. As far as he knew he was entitled to marry anyone of his choosing as long as they weren't a squib and Hermione certainly wasn't that. He cleared his mind of all thoughts and inclined his head towards the minister for him to continue.

"Am I right to believe that you have never heard of this law?"

Malfoy nodded in agreement still baffled by his lack of knowledge of something that evidently seemed important. If it wasn't then he wouldn't be sitting in the Minister for Magic's office discussing it.

"This law known as the 'Cruor Infidel Law', old fashioned it may be was set down by the founding fathers and mothers of the wizarding community. It states that a man from a minimum of six generations of pure-blood lineage is allowed to marry any witch he chooses and vice versa. Now, if I'm correct you have fourteen generations of pure-blood lineage which connects to the Blacks, the Weasleys and the Bones. Therefore, seeing as all three lines are directly connected through your mother, being a Black, and your father's sister-in-law, being a Weasley, each of the sons are liberated in this line of life. Now, seeing as each of your ancestors married a woman from a pure-blood family, the law has never needed to be mentioned or taken notice of until now. You Mr Malfoy have chosen to marry a Muggle born witch who has no pure-blood lineage. Therefore the law applies; it further states that if a pure-blood son of a minimum of six generations of pure-blood weds a daughter of no pure-blood lineage then the marriage is made redundant unless a 'Cruor Encryption Potion' is brewed containing the blood of the pure-blood son. When drunk, the drinker will be genetically encrypted with the DNA code of the pureblood family that her husband is from. Your original code is modified in the potion which makes the drinker your genetic first cousin. Therefore, there would be no problem of inheritance and name as she would become part of your family and also be branded with the fourteen generations of pure-blood lineage that runs through your veins. This may seem strange as marrying one's cousin is not a practise that people indulge in these days but it will not seem strange to any wizarding family as they are all related either by blood or by marriage. Pure-blood families would not exist today if inter- family marriage was frowned upon. Are you with me so far? Good; now, listen carefully. Seeing as you have been given till you twenty-sixth birthday to live, if and when you die, your future wife, being Ms Granger, will have nothing of your inheritance, estate or your name unless this potion is brewed and given to her before you say your vows or Lucius Malfoy will object on your wedding day; if that happens then you will lose her as the council of pure-bloods will not allow your union to occur. They will slay whoever they need to, protecting their heritage is their only concern and she is a threat to all they fight for and have sworn to protect."

"Where does my baby come into all of this?"

"The reason I brought up your unborn child is that if Hermione gives birth out of wedlock without taking the 'Cruor Encryption Potion' the council will kill the baby along with the 'disgrace' that bore it into the world; therefore meaning that you would not only lose your wife, but your child as well. Lucius doesn't know of the potion yet, if he did he would alert the council and they would take immediate action and destroy the threat. I also know for a fact that he is divided in his choice to tell them; he won't say a word because if he did, it would make him lose face; seeing as he's the head of the oldest pure-blood family in the entire magical community he wouldn't want that to happen. He might tell them just to get you out of spite for joining the ministry and draw you back into the evil world that he intended you to join."

He paused allowing Malfoy to take in all the information. He was angry and scared at the same time. The thought of losing Hermione was more than he could bear as she was his entire world and existence. He knew that he lived only to hold her again. The Minister was watching Malfoy's every expression and when he had decided that the pause was long enough he went on.

"The reason that I've summoned you here today is to make sure that you brew the potion containing your blood and give it to Hermione before tonight. If not she will die. There is a team of potion-masters in the next room awaiting the final ingredient, your blood. The rest is done, the potion has been brewed and once your blood has been added, it will need to be drunk within the next 36 hours…roughly a day and a half. Once we have given the potion to you all evidence will be destroyed, the potion-masters' memories will be modified and there will be no more talk of this ever again. The Ministry has taken an awfully large risk by helping you; do not make our risk in vain."

With that the Minister rose from the chair and snapped his fingers. A small portrait of a crucible swung forward and revealed another narrow stone passage that no doubt led to the potions room. Malfoy shook the Minister's hand and nodded. He was speechless; all the information was swimming around in his head as he headed towards the entrance. As he was about to enter the Minister's gaze followed him across the room. He had three words left to utter:

"God speed, Malfoy."

Upon entering the potions room Malfoy saw three men standing in various positions around the room. One man stood by the cauldron constantly stirring, one held two small vials and another held a syringe along with a large test tube ready for use. The man with the syringe and the test tube walked over towards him and motioned for him to sit on a stool near the cauldron. Placing the test tube in a holder on the table he motioned for Malfoy to roll up his left sleeve. Doing so he held his forearm out ready to have his blood taken. The potions-master removed the cap from the syringe needle and rubbed some antiseptic on a spot just above the crook of Malfoy's elbow. He inserted the needle into his arm and began to draw out the blood.

As Malfoy watched the body of the syringe fill with his blood he thought about Hermione and what would have happened if his father hadn't contacted Fudge with his 'concern', or as Malfoy liked to think, his threat. He was grateful in a way to his father for indirectly saving his future wife and child from a most probable gruesome death. Before he knew it the potions-master had removed the needle and placed a plaster on the puncture. He filled the test tube with blood and walked over to where the cauldron was. Pouring the contents of the test tube into the potion a huge cloud of purple smoke billowed from the liquid as the blood fused with the other ingredients. 'Purple for Royalty' though Malfoy ironically as he saw the cloud. In a flash the fumes were sucked back into the depths from when it came and the potion turned a crystal clear, ice blue colour that resembled the clear ocean waters of Thailand. A ladle was dipped into the mixture and carefully poured into the two small crystal vials that the second man was holding. They were corked and given to Malfoy who carefully placed them inside his cloak pocket. He pressed his hand against his breast to make sure they were safe. The man who was stirring the cauldron stopped and walked over to him. In a deep resounding voice he told Malfoy that the drinker had to drink the contents of one entire vial and the other one was a spare in case something went wrong. He bowed low and then went back to the workbench where the potion stood. Pouring the contents into the fire as well as the cauldron itself, syringe and the test tube he watched them burn before heading towards the door that Malfoy had entered from. They were obviously headed towards the Minister's office to have their memories modified. As they filed out the man with the deep voice turned towards Malfoy.

"That fireplace is discreetly connected to the Floo Network. The place of departure is untraceable so you will be able to leave in safety. There is a pot of Floo Powder on the mantle piece, good luck and remember she has to drink the _entire_ contents of _one_ vial."

With that he was gone and Malfoy headed towards the fireplace. Grabbing a handful he placed his hand over his pocket to secure the vials. He shouted his destination and as the flames turned green he took and deep breath and stepped inside headed for home and Hermione…


	12. Encounters and Fireside Nights

**A/N: **So sorry for the incredibly late update. I have no excuse…except maybe final exams and all that jazz. Hope yall like it. There are only going to be a few more before this story finally ends! Malfodax XX

**Disclaimer's Notice: **I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters featuring in the books or the films. They belong to J.K Rowling and her wonderful mind. Only the plot is mine so venture into it if you dare…

**Chapter 12**

When Malfoy returned to his house later that afternoon he was surprised to find Hermione wasn't home. He looked everywhere for her; after finally giving up he went to kitchen and took a bottle of whisky from the liquor cupboard. Grabbing a glass, with shaking hands he poured himself a large shot and downed it. Feeling the familiar burning sensation in his throat calm him he glanced towards the fridge and saw a note scribbled in Hermione's neat handwriting:

_Hi. Have gone to Diagon Alley to have my fitting; guest list is on the dining table as are the invites. I'll be home by 8 so we can go through the lists then. Try and amuse yourself till I get back…miss you and can't wait to see you tonight._

_Always Yours, H._

He flung the letter down and perched himself on one of the kitchen stools. Taking his cloak off he flung it over the back of the other stool. He poured himself another shot and looked into the glass as he raised it. Rolling it around in his hands he contemplated on how he was going to get Hermione to drink the potion without having to tell her. As the amber liquid swished around and around random thoughts began to appear in his mind. Should he tell her? What about putting it in her tea? Could he just ask her to drink it? Maybe he could pretend it was a cool new drink and they could take it together? What? Like she'd ever believe him, she's pregnant of course she's not going to drink. As all these thoughts turned in his head he downed the second of what was to be many shots. Picking up the glass and the bottle in one hand he used the other to grab the note as he headed towards the living room.

"What do you think? It's a bit too…I dunno, straight?"

Hermione was standing in the shop staring at her reflection from a top a pedestal. The dressmaker and her assistants were gathered around her feet looking up and evaluating all their hard work. Ginny was sitting on the sofa behind her drinking butterbeer from a champagne flute and looking closely at Hermione's dress.

"I agree, I mean your bump is slightly noticeable in that cut. I was thinking you should have a tight bust, almost like a corset but allow the rest of the dress to flow out like a pear drop. That way, you can show off your rapidly growing chest but manage to conceal the tum tum" said Ginny with a grin.

Hermione rolled her eyes and thought about it; she finally agreed and asked Ginny to explain exactly what she meant to the seamstresses. After all, Ginny was in the fashion industry; as the women had a chat about the shape and the length Hermione faced the mirror and pulled the veil over her face. She closed her eyes and imagined standing at the alter; more than 500 people would be in the church watching her get married to the father of her child and her one true love. When she opened her eyes she gasped in surprise as she looked at her dress which had been magically transformed into something that could only have come out of a fairy tale. Smiling at the five women below her she felt tears forming at the corners of her eyes as she nodded in approval.

Leaving the wedding dress shop half an hour later with Ginny, Hermione was truly satisfied until she felt a sudden craving for ice cream. She grabbed Ginny's hand and raced her towards the vendor standing at the street corner. After gorging herself silly Hermione looked at the Gringrots clock tower and realised it was 7:30pm. She had promised Draco that she would be back by 8pm so she turned to Ginny and said that she had to go. Ginny, who has also noticed the time turned to Hermione at exactly the same moment and exclaimed that she also was late and had to dash. Both girls giggled and walked over to the Disapparating station. When Hermione noticed Ginny's skin was fast becoming a deep red that could only have been the sign of a Weasley blush she turned to her friend and asked her where she was heading. Ginny grinned sheepishly and claimed that she had a date for the evening and was really nervous. Despite all of Hermione's questions she refused to reveal who he was and merely said that he was going to be at her side during the wedding in a few days time. With that and a quick peck on either cheek she winked and disapparated before Hermione could say another word.

As soon as Ginny had left Hermione gathered herself together and pulled her wand out. Just before she could utter the spell she felt a huge wave of nausea hit her like a ton of bricks. She gasped and then proceeded towards the bench where she slumped down heavily. "Must have been that ice cream…I knew I should've eaten it slower!" she thought. After taking a few deep breaths she placed a hand on her stomach and looked up. The first thing she saw was a leather gloved hand holding a black cane with a silver serpent's head top not more then a few meters away from her. Following the arm up to the face she gasped and suddenly stood up taking a few steps back towards the main foyer. Looking around her she saw that everyone had stopped in their tracks, almost as if time itself had been frozen. It was then that she realised the man with the cane was slowly moving towards her, his cane rhythmically tapping on the vast marble floor.

Malfoy yawned and stretched as he downed yet another shot of whisky. He was feeling extremely relaxed and decided that everything would work out fine with the potion. Looking at the clock on the mantle piece he noticed that it was quarter past eight and Hermione still wasn't home. He presumed that she'd gotten caught up with Ginny; knowing from past experience that when women got together they could never be relied on to be on time. It was something about their behaviour when they were together, they became so irresponsible. Lighting a fire Malfoy removed his T-shirt and stretched his arms up causing his shoulder and back muscles to ripple. Taking a cigar our from the oak wood box on the side table he clipped the end off and picked up his silver Dunhill lighter. Lighting the cigar he drew on it and allowed the smell of the musky smoke to envelope him as he exhaled. Settling down barefoot and in just his jeans Malfoy reached for the guest list and a pen and began reading through the names of all the people on it whilst randomly puffing elegantly on his cigar.

"Why Hermione, what a surprise! I didn't expect to see you here today. Shouldn't you be at home having a Hen Night or something? After all, this is your second last day as an unmarried woman" said Lucius Malfoy as he strode towards her, a big smile on his face. Hermione stumbled backwards trying to look for a place to run. Where ever she went he would be bound to see her as everything and everyone else was completely still. Lucius took another step forward and opened his arms towards her.

"Come, come my dear. Calm down, I just wanted to say Congratulations."

"For what?" cried Hermione absolutely terrified.

"Of course! It's bad luck to tell people until after the first trimester! How silly of me! I completely forgot. Oh well, just wanted to say that I know about…the baby. My son must be very _proud_!" said Lucius with a slight curl in his lip.

Hermione couldn't believe her ears! If Lucius knew then that meant Narcissa knew. That couldn't be good! She took a deep breath and stepped towards him trying to believe that all he wanted was to wish her well. There was something in his eyes that made her think again. Sighing, Lucius closed the gap between them quickly and gently embraced his soon to be daughter-in-law. Hermione felt odd as she never imagined herself to be in this situation…ever! As she made to pull away, Lucius bent down towards her ear.

"I'd be very careful from now on if I were you. Accidents happen to easily to pregnant women, you never know, you might slip and…hurt yourself.

Hermione gasped as she pushed him away. He smiled once again and stepped away. Inclining his head towards her in a mock bow he snapped his fingers and disapparated. People began to move again as if nothing had happened. Hermione was horrified; petrified out of her wits she lifted her wand with a shaking hand and disapparated home.

Malfoy flung the pen down; glancing at the clock he noticed that it was 8:30 and Hermione still wasn't home. Getting up he lifted his tumbler and downed the contents once again. Exhaling heavily he placed the glass on the table and refilled it. It wasn't like her to be so late, no matter who she was with. She would have sent word if something had held her up. Just as he reached for his shirt so he could go and look for her, he heard a crack and Hermione was standing in front of him shaking. At the sight of him Hermione burst into tears. She dropped her shopping and her bag. Flinging her cloak on the chair as she tore towards him Malfoy's eyes widened in surprise. As she landed in his arms she nuzzled into his shoulder and stood there not saying a word.

"You're trembling Hermione. What's the matter? What's going on?" asked Malfoy.

"Lucius" was all she could muster before breaking down again.

Malfoy's eyes narrowed and he went back to the table. Lifting his final glass he drained it and stepped towards the fire. With no warning, Malfoy felt utter and complete rage. He looked at the glass and the suddenly threw it into the fire with an almighty bellow, causing the fire to spit and as the remaining drops of whisky ignited, the glass shattered against the wood he placed his hands on the mantle piece, leaning forwards. Breathing heavily his torso began to tremble with anger. Hermione stepped towards him and placed a hand on his taut forearm. Resting her head against his shoulder she pulled his arms around her. Guiding him to the sofa she pushed him down and settled herself in his lap as he pulled her close. Looking into Malfoy's steely grey eyes she put her arms around his neck and straddled him. She kissed him so furiously that he was taken aback. Hermione continued; she didn't know why but she desperately needed him right now. She didn't care about anything but being with him. Malfoy was about to protest when her hands went down to the belt of his trousers and all his rage disappeared. He pulled back and quizzically looked at her; cocking his head to one side he raised an eyebrow and a half smile played at his lips. She returned the smile and proceeded to unbutton his trousers.

Removing her shirt, Hermione threw it across the room as Malfoy kissed her shoulders. He undid her trousers and as she stood up to allow them to fall away she pulled Malfoy up with her. Taking their trousers off clothes began to fly in all directions. Hermione went to wards Malfoy and ran her fingers through his longish hair. He ran his hands up her arms and felt Goosebumps start to rise on her skin. Locking his fingers in hers he squeezed her hands and leant forward to kiss her. She pushed his chest and he landed heavily on the hearth rug in front of the fire. Grunting he propped himself up on his elbows as Hermione descended on him. She straddled his waist and grinned.

Malfoy, being a proud man, refused to allow her to have one up over him so he grabbed her by the waist and flipped her over so he was now on top. Hermione screamed with laughter and Malfoy gave his trademark smirk. Pulling him up she put her hands on the small of his back and allowed herself to revel in the moment. As they made love in front of the fire their shadows played on the walls. She let all of her troubles be washed away as Malfoy gently eased in and out. Afterwards he rolled off of her and placed his head on her chest. Listening to her heart pound he suddenly felt grief sweep over him. It was then that he realised that he couldn't live without her and would do whatever it took to protect her.

Hermione sighed as she played with his hair. She placed a hand on his check and as he kissed her palm moved down so she could look into his eyes. Seeing an unfamiliar expression on his face she frowned and raised his chin. Realising that he was thinking of a life without her he corrected himself and made to stand up. Lifting Hermione up in his arms he gently placed her on the sofa and covered her with a blanket. Kissing her stomach he grabbed his boxers, put them on and went to the kitchen. Getting out two cups he made himself some coffee and a cup to camomile tea for Hermione. Lifting his cloak from the kitchen stool he removed one of the two vials from it's inner pocket. Carefully removing the tea bag he uncorked it and poured the contents into her cup. The liquid turned purple for a few seconds and then returned to it's original state. He had been subconsciously holding his breath; releasing the air from his lungs he carried the two cups into the living room. Placing them onto the table he sat on the sofa and kissed Hermione before placing the cup in front of her.

"I wondered what the taste in your mouth was…" said Hermione noticing the half smoked cigar as she lifted the almost empty whisky bottle.

Taking the cigar from the ask tray he lit it and took a sip of his coffee. Settling himself on the arm chair he proceeded to nonchalantly blow smoke rings all the while watching Hermione quietly sipping her tea and staring into the fire. Noticing that he was watching her she looked at him and raised an eyebrow. He laughed, looked away and shook his head as he took another sip of his coffee. They sat there for what seemed like an eternity to Malfoy, not talking just enjoying each other's company. When their cups were empty Malfoy extinguished his now fully smoked cigar and went over to Hermione. Smiling, he scooted her over and flopped down next to her. Pulling the blanket over them he took a deep breath and stared at the ceiling as Hermione shuffled to find her niche in his chest. Having found it she began to doze.

Breathing a sigh of relief that she had taken the potion, Malfoy also began to doze in front of the fire with Hermione's sleeping form nuzzled into his shoulder; his baby and wife were safe. He thought about the day after tomorrow when he would finally wed his beloved fiancé and have her proudly by his side at the most lavish wedding and reception the magical world had ever seen…little did he know, they wouldn't make it that far.


	13. The Night Before the Big Dat

**A/N: **I know…I know. Yall wanna kill me right? I have a valid reason for the late update. Well…actually I don't. But seeing as this is almost the last one I'm sure you'll forgive me seeing as your curiosity is probably getting the better of you right about now. ) Go on…just read it…

**Disclaimer's Notice: **I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters featuring in the books or the films. They belong to J.K Rowling and her wonderful mind. Only the plot is mine so venture into it if you dare…

**Chapter 13**

Hermione was fidgeting around next to him on the sofa. Malfoy having been jerked from sleep took a deep breath of exasperation when he was smacked flat on the nose by the back of Hermione's hand.

"Woman! How many times have I told you to watch where you fling your arms!" yelled Malfoy as he rubbed the pain out of his nose.

He noticed that Hermione was still asleep and was tossing very violently in his arms. He tried shaking her but she started screaming and he sat up in alarm. She was tossing and turning as her breathing quickened. Malfoy tried calling her name and shaking her at the same time but got no response. Before he even had time to think what to do next, her eyes flew open and she suddenly went silent.

"Hermione…are you alright?"

"I'm fine…I just…felt really strange for a while. Like something was crawling under my skin...hot and uncomfortable. As soon as she said the words, Malfoy knew that it was the potion that had caused the effect and he felt relieved.

"It's alright. Relax…I'm here, it was just a bad dream…that's all…just a bad dream" said Malfoy reassuringly.

Hermione exhaled heavily and settled down. Glancing at the clock on the mantelpiece she noticed that it was almost 10am. She stretched and then lifted herself off of the sofa. Throwing one leg over Malfoy, she gently kissed him and then stood up. Reaching for her clothes, shopping, handbag and cloak, which she wrapped around herself, she made her way towards to door. Watching her, Malfoy yawned and then proceeded to gather up the mugs, empty whisky bottle and ashtray. Arms full, he also went to the door but instead of going towards the stairs, he made for the kitchen door. Pushing it open he placed the items on the counter and carefully picked up his cloak. Noticing the second vial glowing in his pocket he carefully folded and concealed it. Going back into the living room he too began gathering his clothes and made his way towards the bedroom.

Dumping his dirty shirt in the laundry basket, Malfoy's head turned towards the bathroom door. He could hear the shower running and Hermione singing to herself. He had 10 maybe 15 minutes tops. Striding towards his bedside table he sat on the edge of the bed and removed the drawer. Reaching to the very back of the cavity his blind fingers found the small, coiled snake that he was looking for. Turning it 90 degrees clockwise, he removed his hand just as the bedside table began to move forward. Leaning to one side he watched as it gave way to a small compartment that couldn't have been more then a few inched in depth and a foot in width. Glancing towards the bathroom door once again he shifted a few of his prised possessions aside to make room for the second vial. His fingers found his old prefect's badge and as he lifted it up to the light he noticed it was covered in dust. Wiping it on the bed sheet he gave it one last wistful look and replaced it, this time on one side. Removing the vial from his cloak he put it in the compartment just as he heard the shower stop. Quickly reaching back inside the drawer cavity he twisted the coiled snake 90 degrees anti-clockwise and as the bedside table began to move back to it's original position, he replaced the drawer as the bathroom door opened.

Hermione was standing in her towel with her head on one side as she shook the excess water from her hair. Smiling at Malfoy, who sheepishly smiled back, she went towards her wardrobe.

"Honey…you do realise that we have to spend tonight apart, right?"

"Yes I know…its tradition," said Malfoy in a mocking tone. "I don't see why it applies to us. I mean we've been living together for, like, forever! We're having a child together…I don't see what the point is in following some silly tradition that was only introduced to ensure that the future couple didn't consummate the marriage early."

Malfoy had moved so he was now standing behind Hermione. Leaning towards her ear he whispered mischievously "I mean…we've blatantly already done that…so what's the point."

"I know…but I mean, it's just one of those things. No point in fighting it as everyone has to do it. So…I'm staying at the Weasley's tonight. I'm sure that Mrs. Weasley will be dying to know why, for once, I'm looking…how should I say…_well-fed_, for once in my life!" said Hermione with a huge grin on her face.

She playfully shoved Malfoy away as she reached for her clothes, dropping her towel in the process. Malfoy laughed and walked towards the bathroom, all the while shaking his head.

Ginny was absolutely buzzing. "Just think Hermione, in less than 24 hours, you'll be Mrs. Draco Malfoy!" said Ginny whilst skipping around the kitchen table. Hermione had just arrived and apparently, Ginny had been preparing for this evening all week. She'd sent Ron off to stay the night with Seamus and Mr and Mrs Weasley were away for the night visiting family.

Ginny had a really girly evening planned for the two of them. They were going to get their nails done, have massages, shop for clothes and magazines. Then, to finish it all off they were going to collect Hermione's wedding dress, veil and shoes, after which they were having dinner at the new restaurant that has just opened up in Diagon Alley. Despite being away from Draco, Hermione was really excited, as she'd had hardly any time to be with friends since the entire pregnancy started. Ginny continued to prance around the room, seemingly more excited than Hermione she bounced over to a small cupboard and removed two bottles. One was a bottle of wine and the other a bottle of butterbeer.

"I thought we could start the evening with a nice little drink."

Hermione nodded her head and took the glass off of Ginny. Taking a sip she felt a shudder down her spine as the warm sweet liquid went down her throat instantly making her feel elated and relaxed. The two women talked about everything over the course of the evening, from the latest issue of 'Witch Weekly' to Ginny's relationship with Harry. As the clock struck the hour they collected handbags and cloaks all the while making their way over to the fireplace.

Taking a handful of Floo Powder from the pot on the mantelpiece, both Hermione and Ginny disappeared into the green flames for their last night as free women.

Back at their cottage, Malfoy had just showered and changed. He was picking out his clothes for the evening. Some of his school friends were coming over for a night of pizza, beer, pool and football on the telly. Malfoy hadn't known that a person could have so many thoughts running through their minds at one time. They were flitting in and out of his mind as he was choosing a shirt. 'Would the potion actually work?' 'Will Hermione be safe?' 'What if Lucius tried something at the wedding and Hermione got hurt?' 'What if it was so obvious that Hermione was pregnant, the Wizengamot refused to perform the ceremony?'

The more Malfoy thought about it, the faster his heart began to race. He began to feel pain like he'd never felt before, sharp, searing bursts of it that made his eyes water and his vision blurry. Nothing he did made it relent…as he experienced a large burst of pain, one thing went through his mind…'please, please, not now…not before my wedding…I need to be strong, I need tomorrow so she'll be safe'. He tried sitting down, drinking water, deep breathing…nothing seemed to work.

Just when the pain became so unbearable that Malfoy thought his chest was going to explode, he suddenly stood up determined to make it go away. His heart retaliated causing him to fall to his knees clutching his chest, his breath coming in harsh gasps. The sweat was steadily dripping off of his face now; like a flowing river washing his strength away. He tried to stand up but his body wasn't allowing him to. Another burst of pain hit him like a ton of bricks as he let out a cry of pain. He fell further forward and just before his head hit the ground and his vision went black one image flashed before his mind that would have been enough to knock any grown man into unconsciousness…it was that of a Dementor, steadily floating towards him.

Not more than 30 miles away, Hermione felt a jolt in the pit of her stomach that caused her to jump. Ginny looked at her concerned and then down at her stomach. Hermione smiled and exhaled; "It's nothing, probably just the baby turning over." It sounded so lame! Ginny may have never been pregnant before, but she was no fool. She raised an eyebrow in disbelief. Women who were just short of 5 months pregnant didn't get stomach jolts and pains without cause for concern. Little did either of them know, the potion that Malfoy had given Hermione had forged a connection so deep, nothing on this earth could have compared to it. Hermione waved off Ginny's concerned look with a smile and continued walking towards the massage parlour.

Malfoy lay cold and motionless on the floor for what seemed like an eternity before finally coming to. He groaned and rolled over onto his back; trying to sit up he suddenly felt dizzy and sick. Jumping up he ran to the bathroom where he proceeded to empty the contents of his stomach into the toilet. Not bothering to look into the bowl Draco cringed and flushed the toilet. He felt strange, light-headed and still in considerable pain. Going over to the sink he ran the cold tap and looked into the mirror. His vision was still slightly blurry but what he saw in the mirror made his head clear better than anything else in the world could have.

Hermione and Ginny were seated at the restaurant and had already started enjoying their appetisers. Hermione periodically got twangs of pain in her stomach but they were hardly noticeable. The only reason she actually started timing them was to make sure that they weren't premature contractions or signs of miscarriage. Noticing that the intervals between each pain were increasing each time in a steady pattern, Hermione presumed that they were just a normal part of pregnancy. She didn't realise at the time how wrong she really was…

Putting his fingers to the corner of his mouth, Malfoy dipped them into the inside of his lip and surveyed the damage. Blood…

Why had he thrown up blood? It was normal for a person to throw up when exposed to extreme pain; he himself had done so during countless training exercises and many times on the battlefield. But never in the history of all his advanced experience of torture and war had anyone thrown up ever thrown up blood without some serious medical issues behind it. He had unknowingly given himself the answer. Serious medical condition… After rinsing his face and mouth off with cold water Malfoy went back into the bedroom. Sending a quick owl to the boys, he told them to come a couple of hours later as there were some last minute wedding arrangements that he needed to take care of. After watching the owl soar away into the twilight, Malfoy grabbed a shirt, put on some shoes and draped his cloak over his shoulders. Taking his wand from his dresser table he slipped it into place and then ran his fingers through his longish blonde hair. With his eyes closed he raised his head and took a deep breath before disapparating to St. Mungos.

Hermione and Ginny were chattering away at dinner. The pain had completely subsided now and Hermione made a mental note to make an appointment with her doctor just in case. Their desert had just arrived when the restaurant door opened and two young gentlemen stepped through the door. Green eyes began surveying the tables and when he found them, he nudged his redheaded partner in crime with a big grin. Striding over, cloaks billowing Ron and Harry both looked incredibly mischievous. Ginny spotted them before Hermione did, whose back was towards the door.

Squealing in delight she jumped out of her seat at jumped into Harry's arms. They had not seen each other for months as Harry had been away on a mission for Dumbledore. He therefore knew nothing about the pregnancy, the wedding or anything else that had happened. His invitation has been under the huge stack of mail that had come through his letterbox and he hadn't yet seen it. Ron, being the completely clueless member of the group, had conveniently forgotten to fill Harry in and suddenly looked very sheepish. Hermione saw them both and as a wide grin began spreading over her face she lowered her left hand under the table and turned her engagement ring over so it wouldn't show. She turned back to the table and gracefully pushed her chair back before saying a word. When she turned around, the sight that met her eyes caused her heart to skip a beat.

There stood Ron, scowling at Harry as usual, and next to him stood Harry who was tenderly kissing Ginny. Hermione laughed out loud and Ginny pulled away. Looking at Hermione over her shoulders she mockingly raised an eyebrow.

"So, when was I going to hear about this then? In the _Hogwarts Monthly_?"

"Well, it's not exactly as if you came forward with your news in a hurry Miss Granger. I only found out a few weeks ago and that was only because you were pregnant!" replied Ginny with false anger.

"Excuse me…? Pregnant? Hermione! What on earth is going on?" said Harry shooting confused looks all round.

Hermione looked alarmed. "But, Harry, I mean…didn't you get my owl? Ron and Ginny know…I sent all of you owls and told you!"

"I'm sorry, the fact that I have been away in Russia, without running water, electricity and having to sleep with my wand under my pillow for fear of certain death in my sleep for the last 4 months must have distracted me ever so slightly. Not to mention rendering me unable to collect my mail…" shot back Harry all the while pointing to three white butterfly stitches that were holding a deep gash on the side of his face closed.

Ginny and Hermione both winced, both for different reasons. Hermione sighed and whispered something to Ginny who immediately went back to the table and called for the waiter. Whilst paying for dinner and having their coats brought back from the cloakroom Ginny was slightly put out. 'There goes my wonderful evening planned for Hermione' she thought as she signed the piece of paper that had just arrived. Smiling at the waiter she took their coats and headed back for the group who were all just looking at each other.

"Maybe we should go home and discuss this further. I don't think a public restaurant in the middle of Diagon Alley full of witches and wizards is the best place for Hermione to spill all. Especially when you find out who the father is…"

Harry sighed and nodded his head. The four of the walked outside and went over to the disapparating platforms. When they got there Hermione nervously glanced around for any signs of Lucius lurking in the shadows. Seeing only an elderly couple heading over to a café she stood firmly in one of the circles and successfully disappeared, instantly appearing in the kitchen of 'The Burrow'. Harry, Ron and Ginny soon followed; before long, cloaks and coats had been discarded, two bottles of wine and a bottle of butterbeer lay opened on the table and Hermione was curled up in the arm chair. Harry was pacing, Ron was chewing on a toothpick and Ginny was fidgeting with the trimmings of the cushion that was in her lap.

Hermione looked at Harry, took a deep breath and began to tell all. With each new fact, Harry's eyes grew wider and wider until and hour and a half, one bottle of wine and three fire logs later he was sitting in the opposite armchair glasses in one hand, the other soothing the bridge of his nose.

"Lemmie get this straight, you're Dad accused _me_ of sleeping with you so he threw you out of the house, Dumbledore then took you in and sent you to Auror camp with us. You and Malfoy hooked up while you were there, shortly after which you dropped out. You moved in with him, his Pop tried something funny with you so he beat him up. You found out you were preggers and told him so he then asked you to _marry_ him, you said yes; his Dad got pissed so he threatened you in Diagon Alley. You told Malfoy and he got pissed again and that brings us to about now where, you're on your Hen Night, getting married to our archenemy from school tomorrow and no one to walk you down the aisle because you and your folks aren't speaking. That about the gist of it then?"

Hermione had been gazing into the fire all the while and when she finally looked up Harry was looking at her, as were the rest of the group.

"Actually Harry, that's where you come in. I was wondering if you'd walk me down the aisle. You've been my best friend for ages now and I can't think of anyone else who I'd rather have. I was going to ask Ron but he's walking my maid of honour."

"Nice one Ron! Who's the lucky gal?" said Harry looking at Ron in a new light.

"Actually Harry, she's my sister so don't get too excited for me" said Ron.

Harry smiled at Ginny and then looked at Hermione seriously. "I dunno Hermione, something doesn't sound right here. It doesn't seem real, it's like he's playing you or something."

Hermione suddenly stood up, tears forming in her eyes she removed her baggy sweater to reveal a tight black camisole underneath through which her bump was very visible. Seeing as she was only 4 months along it wasn't very big but still firm, round and noticeable. She walked over to Harry and lifted his large, rough and calloused hand. Placing it on her stomach she covered his hand with hers. Tears crept out of her eyes, as she looked at him straight on she said in a barely audible whisper "It's real Harry…it's very real. I love him."

Harry, his stand still on Hermione's stomach, stood up and looked down. She was almost a full head shorter than him. Lifting her chin with his other hand he wiped her tears away.

"Alright…ok, if it this is what you really want, I'll do it" said Harry in a shaky voice. His eyes misted, he removed his hand from her stomach and wrapped his huge arms around her. She rested her head on his chest and started crying. For no reason at all, she just wept and wept. All her fears and worries, they all came pouring out in her tears. Harry cradled her in his arms all the while stroking her back and whispering comforting sounds in her ear. Unbeknown to the three of them, Hermione had conveniently left out Malfoy's illness. For some reason, it was not something she wanted to share.

"I'm terribly sorry to disturb you sir, but I had to know," said Malfoy wiping his chest down and putting on his shirt.

"It is I Mr. Malfoy who is sorry. I seem to constantly bring you bad news. I do hope this doesn't change anything for tomorrow. I know how important it is to you although I do wish that you'd postpone it just for one day. This really is a serious matter and it needs to be dealt with as soon as possible. But, I suppose it's your decision at the end of the day; just make sure that you come back on Monday for ", said Healer Morden folding a piece of parchment and slipping it into an envelope. Sealing it with the hospital coat of arms he handed it to Malfoy and shook his hand. Those are the details of the tests and a copy of your scan.

"Thank you sir, really, I do appreciate it. I suppose the Minister contacted you about the potion that I gave Hermione as well?"

"Yes, he did. It was actually I who suggested the potion. Let's hope that it never comes to that though. I only meant it as a precaution on her part. Just out of interest, did she take it?"

Malfoy replied with a smile. "Yes, yes she did sir." With that he swung his cape on and left.

The Healer sat down and removed his reading glasses. Placing them on his desk he rubbed his eyes and leant back in his chair. Picking up the original copy of the scan he looked again at Malfoy's ruptured artery. He had temporarily repaired it but it required a lot more work. At least it explained the blood Malfoy had thrown up and the pain he felt before it. Although, the one thing Healer Morden feared had come true. The curse was degenerative by nature, which they already knew, however it was spreading faster than they could control…


	14. Malfoy's Relapse

**A/N: **Please, please don't curse me! I'm sorry for the late updates but my mum's having a baby & I've had loads on my plate what with setting up the nursery and all that. Hope you guys like this chapter…I've spent many long nights in the hospital planning & writing it. :)

**Disclaimer's Notice: **I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters featuring in the books or the films. They belong to J.K Rowling and her wonderful mind. Only the plot is mine so venture into it if you dare…

**Chapter 14**

Standing in his bedroom a few hours after he'd left the hospital Malfoy stood in his towel still dripping from his shower. After learning the truth as to why he'd coughed up blood, he had gone for a long walk. Sending messages to all the guys so he could cancel the Stag Night, he'd wandered through the streets of Central London hoping to achieve some clarity and peace of mind before Disapparating back to his country cottage on the family estate in the Cotswolds. He got home at around 2 in the morning and noticed that Hermione still wasn't home. In a way, he wished she were here; but in another way, he was glad she wasn't. Having to explain all this on the eve of their wedding would have caused panic and worry on her part and that was something he didn't want. He went up to his bedroom and decided to take a shower to wash the stress off of him. Dropping his clothes as he walked towards the bathroom he turned on the hot tap and stood underneath it. Half an hour later, despite his hopes that a shower would make him feel a lot better, he still felt as terrible as he did before.

Standing there in his towel, he suddenly remembered the copy of the test results that was still in his cloak pocket. Padding over to it he bent over and removed the thick envelope from the cloak before draping it over the chair. Opening it he examined the report and the image of the prominent rupture in his artery for the thousandth time. It wasn't that big, maybe the side of a thumbtack, if that. He snorted cynically at how such a comparatively small hole in a major artery could mean the difference between living and dying.

Throwing the results on the coffee table, he made a decision and sat down on the sofa to execute his plan. Pulling his pad of signature letterheads towards him, he reached over for a fountain pen and began to write. The letter was addressed to Hermione and explained all about his secret compartment, how to open and close it and what he'd left in it for her. He began pouring out all his apologies for not telling her sooner and told her how much he loved her. He also wrote all about the potion, the meetings with the minister and the appointment with Healer Morden. He signed the letter and surveyed the three pages of his handiwork. Folding the letter he placed it in the envelope and sealed it with wax. Writing her name on the front he placed the letter in his tuxedo's inner pocket 'just in case'. He told himself that he was being silly and as he raised his arm to remove it something inside of him stopped his hand from touching the envelope.

He picked up the test report and scan image and replaced them inside the brown paper envelope the healer had given him at the hospital. Moving towards his bedside table he opened the secret compartment and placed it carefully on top. Closing the compartment he replaced the drawer and moved towards the wall closets. Opening one of the doors he leant towards the full-length mirror that was concealed within and examined his face. Noticing the dark circles beneath his two-day stubble he realised how tired he really looked. Unknown to Hermione, he lay awake night after night, listening to her steady breathing as she slept all the while hoping and praying that fate wouldn't tear him from his family before he was ready to leave them. Sighing and moving away he examined his scarred torso. Tracing his fingers over the countless stitched wounds and hex marks his fingers stopped over the vertical gleaming purple scar that ran right over his heart.

Placing his hand over it he closed his eyes and remembered how Hermione had kissed it, wishing and hoping that love would make it heal. He began to chuckle at the thought which slowly grew into a hearty laugh; tears poured out of his eyes in frustration as he realised the hopelessness of the situation. Suddenly short of breath Malfoy began coughing; doubling up, he choked as the, now partially ruptured, artery poured more blood into his lungs. When the fit subsided he raised his head and looked into the mirror once again. A trickle of blood was slowly leaking out of the corner of his mouth; he quickly wiped away with the back of his hand. Whilst examining the red stain on his hand he hoped he would last till the end of tomorrow when Hermione would be married to him and therefore be secured in safety along with his unborn child.

It was at that moment the serious reality of the situation dawned on him…all his prayers had been in vain. His time had come…

Ginny and Ron had long since gone to bed. Harry and Hermione who had moved onto the sofa lay in each other's arms. Watching the fire both had many thoughts going through their minds. Harry's were that of wonder and amazement at the sheer idea of his best friend and archenemy bound together in holy matrimony. Hermione's however, were more focused on Malfoy and his illness. Lying in the niche of Harry's shoulder she closed her eyes and whispered a silent prayer for his safety as yet another single tear slid down her face. Quickly wiping it away, Hermione turned her face up and looked at Harry's cut. She raised her body up from his and propped her head up on her elbow.

"So, tell me. How on earth did you manage to get that?" asked Hermione pointing to Harry's face.

"I was on a mission for Dumbledore…can't really say where but I was looking for a pack of rouge werewolves led by the infamous Fenrir Greyback."

"Oh! You mean the werewolf that bit Lupin? I thought he was killed along with all the others."

"Yup. The very same, he escaped the purge with about 8 others. The order dispatched four of us to kill them. We tracked them down and eventually found them hiding in some caves by the coast of Norfolk. The four of us surrounded the entrance and made our way inside. They were alerted to our presence long before we got there and were waiting for us. We basically walked into an ambush. We eventually managed to kill all of them but Fenrir gave me a reminder of our encounter" finished Harry pointing to his cut and smiling.

Noticing Hermione's worried look he continued. "It was his claws, not his teeth that carved this beauty into my face so you can stop looking at me like I'm some sort of animal."

"That's alright then…just so long as you don't bleed all over my dress tomorrow I'll be fine!"

Hermione grinned and stood up as she brought a cushion abruptly down on his head. He turned and lunged at her grabbing her arms. Placing both of her delicate wrists in one large hand he used the other one to tickle her. Hermione squealed and begged for mercy.

"Oye!" she cried in between her laughter; "Pregnant woman here! No horsing around until after I have the baby!" she cried as Harry tickled her with more enthusiasm.

Laughing he released her arms and flopped back onto the sofa with a goofy grin plastered to his face. He was still unused to the idea that Hermione was pregnant and wished that he's gotten to spend more time with her before all this happened. He knew deep down that no matter how many promises were made, he'd barely get to see her after the wedding just because she'd be so busy doing wife stuff and to top it all off, she'd be living in the Cotswolds at her new Country Estate. Accompanying Malfoy to all his grand dinners and parties, not to mention having to raise a child in about 5 months. He knew though that Hermione would pull it all off beautifully just like she always did. Secretly he envied Malfoy although he knew that Hermione could never be with him purely because they were more like brother and sister. He also secretly prayed that he could have a wife just like her. Practically perfect in every way…

Hermione noticed that Harry was still staring into the fire and checked her watch. It read 3:15am. Exhaling deeply she rubbed her rapidly expanding stomach and began searching for her sweater and shoes. Locating her missing items in the corner by the armchair she looked at Harry. His eyes were still glazed over and concentrating on the fire. As the flickering flames bounced off of his face Hermione bent over to put on her shoes.

"Hey Harry, penny for your thoughts?" called out Hermione.

Instantly jolted from his daydream he noticed Hermione was getting ready to leave. "Where are you going?"

"Home" said Hermione as she threw her cloak over her shoulders. "I'm knackered and I need to get some rest. Got a big day tomorrow!"

"Don't we all" said Harry as he stood up and straightened up Hermione's cloak collar.

"Listen Harry" said Hermione taking his hands in hers: "I just wanted to say thank you for doing this for me. It means a lot and I really appreciate it!"

"You don't need to thank me sweetie. You know I'd do anything for you…Hell! I'd cross the ends of the earth if it'd make you happy" said Harry with a brotherly smile on his face.

Pulling Hermione into a tight bear hug he suddenly realised how much she really meant to him. It was then that he swore to himself he'd protect her against anything. 'Nothing will ever make her unhappy or cause her pain ever again' her told himself firmly. Releasing her he kissed her on the forehead and stepped back as she made arrangements to Disapparate. Blowing a kiss to Harry, Hermione stepped and turned and before his brain could register or generate a reaction she was gone and he was standing alone. Gathering his things he went up to Ginny's room. She was curled into a ball and fast asleep on the bed. Dumping his cloak and shoes on the chair he pulled off his T-shirt and climbed on top of her, nuzzling into her neck he whispered her name until she stirred. Opening her sleep-filled eyes, she smiled as Harry's face slowly came into focus.

"God I missed you woman!" he growled as he leant down to kiss her.

"I can tell", said Ginny between kisses, rolling onto her back and smiling. Harry began to undo his belt and slipped his jeans off onto the floor. Struggling with his socks whilst trying to remain lip-locked to Ginny, Harry leant too far to one side and promptly fell off the bed landing on the floor with a thud. Seconds later there was a banging on the wall.

"Just because I can't see you doesn't mean I can't hear you, Potter! Give me a break, all right? Just remember you're fooling around with my sister here, the last thing I want is to hear the two of you at it like rabbits! Being away for 5 months isn't an excuse!" screamed Ron through the wall. Harry grinned mischievously and slipped his boxers off before crawling under the covers and on top of Ginny, who also had removed her clothes albeit a great deal faster than he had!

"Oh sod off Ron, you miserable git of a prude!" squealed Ginny as Harry breathed heavily in her ear.

"I reckon, we give Ronnie over there a show he'll be burning about for the rest of the year" breathed Harry into Ginny's neck.

"Well now Mr. Potter, that sounds like a proposition. Just remember though, I would like to able to walk in a straight line at the wedding tomorrow as Chapel aisles are straight, not curved, if my memory serves me correctly," giggled Ginny back.

"Woman! By the time I'm done with you tonight, I'll make you wish that you could see straight leave alone walk straight!" bellowed Harry.

"Oye! I heard that Potter!" shouted Ron through the wall.

Harry laughed out loud as he lowered his large muscular frame onto Ginny. Kissing her fiercely once again he started what was to be a very, very long night for the both of them.

Hermione walked up the hallway after hanging her cloak by the front door. She expected to see loads of passed out bodies in the snooker room with even more empty beer bottles, countless empty pizza boxes and a fair number of porn videos littering the floor. However, when she'd poked her head round the door, the room was spotless which meant that either Malfoy hadn't had a stag night or Sax the house-elf deserved more credit than they gave her. Climbing the stairs in a haze of exhaustion she put the thoughts out of her mind as she reached the bedroom door and silently opened it. Shutting the bedroom door behind her she saw Malfoy sleeping on his side of the bed. Her bedside lamp was still on though so she presumed he'd expected her home that night.

Dropping her clothes she pulled on her nightgown and fell into bed not even bothering to brush her teeth. Absolutely exhausted she had just enough energy to snuggle towards Malfoy and place her forehead between his shoulder blades. Had she been less exhausted, she would have noticed that the huge, muscular, strong shoulders of her future husband were shaking slightly from the silent tears of fear rolling out of his open eyes and alert mind. As she pulled her legs towards him she intertwined her feet with his as she always did however, once again had she been less tired she would have noticed that Malfoy's feet, which were always warm in contrast to her own cold pair, were uncharacteristically like blocks of ice. Had she been less tired, she would have noticed a once pure and brilliant white handkerchief on his bedside table soaked with the blood he was consistently coughing up. But the sheer bliss of complete exhaustion tends to make the human mind less perceptive and therefore allows things that would normally alarm and concern us…to slip away unnoticed…


	15. The Morning of the Wedding

**Disclaimer's Notice: **I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters featuring in the books or the films. They belong to J.K Rowling and her wonderful mind; only the plot is mine…

**Chapter 15**

Malfoy woke up long before Hermione did. As he got out of bed he walked towards the window. Pulling back the curtains slightly he noticed that the sky was stained a deep, brilliant alizarin crimson…nature's early makings of a beautiful summer's day. Allowing the curtains to fall back to their original position he decided, as dawn was only just breaking, to go for a run to see if he could work off some of the stress that had accumulated in his mind over the near sleepless night. Dawn was the best time for a good workout, the world was only just rising from its nightly slumber and there was always a sense of extreme peace in the air that managed to soothe his often-troubled thoughts. As he headed towards his bedside table to fetch his watch he noticed the bloodstained handkerchief lying next to a book. Glancing over at Hermione's sleeping form he hoped that she had not seen it on her way in last night. Taking it into his hand he noticed how the blood had stiffened the material to a hard surface before placing it at the bottom of the laundry basket. Dropping his boxers he pulled on his running shorts and a grey t-shirt. Grabbing a pair of socks from the pile in his drawer, he lightly dropped a kiss on Hermione's shoulder as he walked out of the bedroom.

Descending the stairs, Malfoy suddenly remembered that today was his wedding day. As the thought struck him he felt a knot of excitement form in the pit of his stomach; despite all recent events and circumstances, he was happy. Smiling to himself he put his socks and trainers on, all the while thinking about walking down the aisle to make Hermione his wife in a mere 13 hours. Stepping outside onto the dew-ridden ground, the grass squeaked under the rubber soles of his trainers. Opting for a brisk walk to warm his muscles up he headed towards the well-run dirt track he used for running. He started moving faster in order to gradually build up a momentum of movement without causing his muscles to cramp. As he gracefully stepped into a light jog he felt his chest seize and stopping to catch his breath he was overcome by a bout of severe coughing. His cough hacked at his throat as small specks of blood formed at his lips; wiping them away he attempted to break into a jog once more, determined not to allow his morning exercise be ruined by this confounded curse! Some may consider this decision rash and unwise considering Malfoy's current state of health and, after yet another severe coughing bout that yielded more blood at his lips he was inclined to agree. Thoroughly resentful of the fact that he could no longer exercise as he once had, Draco grumpily made his way back to 'Copse Cottage'.

Hermione was still asleep. Creeping through the bedroom, into the bathroom Malfoy tried his hardest not to start coughing again lest he should wake her from slumber. At the sink he furiously brushed his teeth to rid himself of the taste of blood. Deciding to take a shower his anger began to dissipate under the warm, comforting water. By the time he had finished the sun had fully risen, alizarin crimson was replaced by a lightly shaded lapis lazuli cloudless sky. Apollo had begun his daily ritual of dragging the enormous gaseous orb through the heavens aided by the cool breeze that now swept across the countryside scattering the dewdrops that had coated the earth mere hours ago.

As he dried himself in the bathroom, Malfoy decided to avoid all strenuous exercise till he could go back to Healer Morden for the remainder of his treatment. The thought of this frustrated him but in reality, he had no choice. Although the minute rupture had been sealed, the curse that plagued his heart had reopened the deadly breach at an alarming speed. This fact should have worried Draco, but his own health was far from his thoughts. Hearing the rustling of sheets coming from the bed he opened the bathroom door slightly to see if Hermione was awake. Her breathing patterns had changed which indicated that she was about to emerge from the depths of her unconscious mind. Going towards the French windows he drew the curtains slowly, leaving the muslin netting hanging in place to ward off insects that might try to enter through open windows. He unlatched the doors, gently easing them open to allow the breeze to penetrate the room. Standing back to examine his handiwork, his warm body was cooled by the fresh air and he instantly began to feel better about the morning's events. The muslin fluttered in the breath of the air and blew towards him as he tiled his head back to savour the smell of a perfect July morning.

Warm thumbs hooked into the rim of the towel bound around his waist. A kiss was planted between his shoulders as he felt gentle breathing flow down his back. Turning he saw Hermione, the sleep still ripe in her eyes as she bid him good-morning. Rubbing an eye with her finger she suddenly bolted towards the bathroom before Malfoy could reply. Hearing the sounds of regurgitation he walked towards the bathroom door. Seeing Hermione with her head in the toilet bowl brought a knowing smile to his lips: the morning sickness had begun. Wondering why she was experiencing it so late in her pregnancy Malfoy suppressed a chuckle, he truly felt sorry for her but there was nothing he could do to prevent it. Flushing the toilet Hermione moved towards the sink to rinse her mouth out with water.

"If you're just going stand there and laugh at me you might as well bugger off cause it's not helping!" hissed Hermione through mouthfuls of cold water. "After all, this is all your bloody fault!"

Hearing these words had the complete opposite effect on Draco. Instead of mock-sheepishly removing his presence from her line of sight to indulge in silent laughter, as he was supposed to at a comment like that, Malfoy burst into a fit of hearty and loud laughter. Even a piercing glare from Hermione via the mirror did nothing to quell his amusement.

"What could possibly be funny about this situation?! I've _just_ got out of bed and the first thing I do is chuck up!" squealed Hermione. "Oh stop it you ridiculous creature! You are being very unsupportive and frankly I still don't understand WHAT IS SO FUNNY!"

Draco wiped the tears of mirth from his eyes and walked towards her. Taking her in his arms he apologised profusely and promised to hold her hair back next time.

"Bloody well better or next time I'll really lose it with you!" retorted Hermione.

"I'm sorry, really I am. I just thought it odd how even when you are throwing up you still look like the most beautiful woman in the world." said Draco soothingly.

Satisfied with his apology, Hermione walked back into the bedroom. Collapsing into bed she rolled onto her back and stared blankly at the canopy above her; curling her hair around one finger she was evidently lost deep in thought. Watching her shapely breasts rise and fall with the motion of her breathing stirred something within Malfoy. Dropping his towel he reached the bed in 3 large strides and crawled towards her. Supporting his weight on his hands he positioned himself over Hermione and she looked up at him with trusting eyes. Lowering himself on top of her, he allowed her to stroke his face, the makings of a thick silky blonde beard emerging from his three-day stubble. As she stroked his face her eyes seem to sparkle with desire that was matched only by his own. They held each other's gaze for what seemed like an eternity before Hermione pulled his face towards hers. They shared a lingering, passionate kiss that sent tingles down Hermione's spine.

Through the sheets she could feel his firm thighs as she held them between her own. The finely honed body could have passed for one of Michelangelo's statues had it not belonged to her soul mate. As the sun streamed through the now open windows his bronzed face and torso were illuminated which, aided by his longish dirty blonde hair gave him an almost god-like appearance that only served to arouse her intense yet inexplicable desire. Sitting up she wrapped the thin cotton bed-sheet around her body as she slithered elegantly out of her cotton nightdress. Throwing it over the edge of the bed, she pushed herself forward onto his lap and sat there staring into the silvery-grey pools that looked back at her. His expression was solemn and although she could feel his need and his urgency he, like a true gentleman, allowed her to take all the time she desired. Draping her arms around his neck she tilted her head slightly and leaned forwards. He responded in like and as their lips re-explored each other, their fingertips traced patterns of lust on each other's bodies.

Hermione, perched on his lap was beginning to gently grind her hips against Malfoy's groin. He thought he was going to explode but calmed himself in order to enjoy the moment they were so absorbed in. Placing his arms under her, he lifted her clear of the bed. As she readjusted herself against his pelvis, he stood up off the bed and walked towards the middle of the room opposite the window. A gust of wind lifted the trailing bed sheet from their legs making the fabric ripple in the decent back to the floor. Turning on the spot several times, Draco looked at the face of his wife-to-be in all the angles the light could provide. She smiled down at him and as he smiled back he felt so full of love for her that his entire body ached. Lowering himself onto his knees he laid Hermione down gently on the plush, thick alpaca silk carpet. Feeling the silky threads rise up to meet her, Hermione felt totally at peace. Sliding his hands from her chest to her navel he removed the thin white sheet that was the only barrier to their total ecstasy. Throwing it over his shoulder he allowed the material to cascade over his back and on to the surrounding floor area of its own accord. Kneeling before her he worshipped her body with his eyes; no matter how long he stared, his eyes would never have their fill of her in all her stately glory.

Lowering himself on top of her once more he tested her ability to carry his weight before starting a trail of kisses that began from the top of her navel and ended at her mouth. He hungrily nibbled at her earlobe and neck before raising his head to face hers. Gently and slowly he eased in and as she received him with spread legs, gasped at the pleasurable sensations that filled her; he smiled lovingly down at her. As the rhythm that they so naturally fell into began to increase in tempo both remained locked in a gaze; neither one wishing to break away first. Soon however, Draco's immense skill forced Hermione to close her eyes as she lost herself to the passion coursing through her. As they began to reach a peak Draco dropped his head to her face and kissed her fiercely and passionately. Hermione responded as best she could but her focus was elsewhere and she broke the connection their lips had made and began to call out his name in throws of pleasure. His breath came hard as he could hold off no longer; Hermione called his name in her one last burst of passion just as he too could not hold off any more and released his essence into hers.

Lying there on the floor with the white sheet conveniently covering them, Malfoy fell limp against her as he panted, his body damp with sweat. Hermione gladly supported his weight, she too was sweating and was glad for the warmth his solidity contained. As the sun warmed Malfoy's back he felt the edge of the muslin curtain tickle the soles of his feet as the gentle breeze forced it to retreat once more into the bedroom. Hermione raised one leg and bent her knee thereby shifting her weight to one side, although they had been utterly spent both were still locked in their embrace of passion and love. Neither felt like moving. Hermione's hands moulded her love for him on his back, she could feel his muscles relaxing and loosening under her expert touch. Propping himself onto his forearms he faced Hermione's smiling face.

"I love you so much. Nothing could ever change that…" he whispered to her.

"I know." was all she could murmur as the passion induced sleep finally and inevitably engulfed her.

Malfoy shifted his weight to his feet as he gently and gingerly disengaged himself from within her. Bending down he picked up her sleeping form and carried her to the bed pulling the covers over her. Lying down next to her he entwined his fingers with hers, it was all he could do; after sharing such a passionate and exhausting intimacy he felt a deep sense of relief sweep over him. 'Everything is going to be alright' he repeatedly told himself. Glancing over towards his bedside table he looked at his clock…it read 11:30am. Only another 7 hours to go…


	16. The Last Loose End

**Disclaimer's Notice: **I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters featuring in the books or the films. They belong to J.K Rowling and her wonderful mind. Only the plot is mine.

**Chapter 16**

Malfoy awoke with a start a few hours later. As he reached over to his bedside table to pick up his watch, he noticed that Hermione was no longer in bed. Glancing around sleepily he wondered where she might have gone. Looking at the time, he suddenly sat up. It was 2pm and he was running very late. Getting out of bed, he stretched and felt his muscles clench and release as he lowered his arms. Walking towards the bathroom he ran the list of things he had to do before the wedding silently through his mind. Showering as if on autopilot he thought of contacting Healer Morden at St. Mungo's for another 'quick-fix' to make sure that he did not suffer another blood soaked coughing fit during the ceremony. Deciding against the idea, Draco imagined Morden would not agree to yet another short-term solution and would insist that Malfoy be admitted to St. Mungo's immediately. At the thought of this option, Malfoy crinkled his nose; the idea of having to call off the wedding so he could go to hospital was not something that appealed to him or his pride. He could handle one more day without having to run back to the Healers for more tests and potential cures. Having still not mentioned the rapid degeneration of his artery or the curse to Hermione, he thought it best not to tell her until after the wedding and pushed it out of his mind.

After his shower, Draco dressed quickly in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt; he had a lot to do and not much time in which to do it. Malfoy padded downstairs and called for Sax. The house-elf appeared with a resounding 'crack'.

"Good Afternoon Master Draco" chimed the small creature in her light, crisp voice.

"Yes, Afternoon Sax. Have you seen my fiancée?"

"Yes Master. Mistress Hermione has gone to the Weasley's house for last minute preparations and dressing. She told me not to wake you and to say that she will see you this evening at the ceremony. Is there anything else?"

Digesting this information, Malfoy nodded absent-mindedly and made to turn away before stopping suddenly remembering why he had come down in the first place. "Sax, do me a favour, go to The Burrow and fetch me a Master Harry Potter. Make sure Hermione does not see you and don't use Floo Power. Impress upon Master Harry that this is a matter of some urgency and Apparate straight back. You must not be seen or heard by anyone other than Harry, understand? You do know what he looks like, yes." The elf nodded as Malfoy continued: "Good, off you go…and Sax, hurry."

The elf bowed low and then disappeared with another ear splitting 'crack'. Malfoy wandered into the living room and reached for his cigar humidor. Selecting one, he clipped the end off with his silver cutter and placed it in his mouth. Rolling the cigar over his tongue, he raised his wand and placed the tip of it to the cigar end. Immediately it ignited and as he puffed gracefully to allow the cigar to light properly, the bluish smoke began to waft stealthily around him filling his nostrils with the rich, comforting, woody, familiar scent. Pulling heavily on the cigar, Malfoy exhaled a few smoke rings and began to think about what he was going to say to Harry when he arrived. No doubt, Harry was going to be thoroughly confused about the highly discreet and spontaneous summons to Copse Cottage at such short notice but Malfoy had a plan…and Harry Potter was an essential ingredient.

He raised his right hand, removed the cigar from his mouth, and ran his other hand through his damp blonde hair. The gold signet ring on the little finger of his left hand glinted in the sunlight streaming in through the French windows to the left of the room. Walking towards the windows Malfoy settled into an armchair and propped his bare feet up on the futon in front of him, the cool afternoon breeze tickling his soles. With his left elbow resting on the arm of his chair, he began to twirl the ring around his pinkie with his thumb in continuous unbroken circles. He examined it as the sun caught its flat engraved surface and marvelled at how intricate the work adorning it was. Each scale of the large serpent centred within the Malfoy family crest had been carved with meticulous precision and skill.

This perfection however did not draw away from the fact that Draco Malfoy despised what it stood for with every fibre of his being. Since the ring has been given to him on his 17th birthday to mark his official place within the ranks of the men of the Malfoy bloodline, it had never moved from its place on the little finger of his left hand. To remove a signet ring after it has been bestowed upon a wizard of age is an act of renouncing the wizard's family and history. To be a Malfoy…oh what an honour his father considered it. One of the last remaining pureblood lines untainted by Muggles and blood traitors and sourced through antiquity all the way back to Salazar Slytherin himself. What pride the Malfoy men held in these undisputed facts about their heritage! But not Draco, once yes, he had been the same as the rest: arrogant, haughty and proud to a fault about who he was and what he came from. But not now, now he felt humbled and while still respecting his family's status within the wizarding community, he did not seem to care so much about it as he once did.

Mulling these thoughts over Malfoy blew a cloud of cigar smoke towards the ring he was now examining. As the tendrils of smoke snaked over the crest obscuring it from view, Malfoy raised his eyes and looked out of the window over at the stream. In a few short hours, Hermione Granger would be removing his signet ring from its permanent residence on the little finger of his left hand to make room for his wedding ring in front of hundreds of people. The custom of the old pureblood lines of England was for the men to wear their wedding rings behind their signet rings. The signet ring is removed, the wedding ring placed and then hidden behind the signet ring as the latter is replaced once the ceremony is over. The symbolic nature of such an act was to demonstrate that while a woman can separate a man from his family for a short time, the family must and will always come first. Malfoy thought of this act differently; while the wedding ring is hidden behind the larger signet ring, it is placed first on the finger and is therefore more important. It is hidden as a mark of protection not dominance. Because the wedding ring symbolises that which is most precious to a man: his wife, his partner, his life, and his love, his everything…

As these thoughts swirled through Malfoy's mind, Sax reappeared in the living room with a disgruntled and confused Harry trailing behind her. She stood obediently by the door as Harry passed her taking in his surroundings. Malfoy meanwhile had stood up from his place by the window and was walking over to Harry with his right hand outstretched.

"Potter, good of you to come" greeted Draco.

"Malfoy", Harry replied nodding at Draco and taking his outstretched hand. "What am I doing here? Not that I'm being rude but we don't really have that much to say to each other even on a good day."

Malfoy smiled, "Today is a good day and we have much to discuss; I need your help. Allow me to explain, but first, something to drink? Have you had lunch?"

Harry looked at him sceptically and shook his head. "I'm fine, although I wouldn't say no to a drink."

"Whisky" asked Malfoy holding up a bottle, "or something a little softer?"

"Whisky will do", replied Harry as he removed his cloak and hung it on the hat-stand in the corner of the room.

Malfoy nodded at Sax who bowed herself out of the room and shut the door behind her. Malfoy reached for two crystal tumblers and poured out two measures of the amber liquid; handing a glass to Harry, he offered him a cigar. Harry declined and both men sat down opposite each other by the open window. Looking around carefully Malfoy raised his wand into the air and in a smooth, clear and collected voice said "Muffliato". Harry looked at him quizzically.

"I didn't know you knew that spell, Malfoy. I haven't heard it used in almost 10 years! What's the occasion?"

"Hermione told me about it. Useful thing if you want to have a conversation that no one else can hear. Unfortunately this is one of those conversations that if overheard could do a lot of damage. I am not in the habit of being so cautious in my own home but one can never tell. Now, allow me to explain why I asked you here today."

As Harry nursed his glass, he looked at Malfoy with some interest. The man sitting in front of him could have been a stranger, so different was his appearance to the last time they had met Harry could have sworn that this was not the same Draco Malfoy that he had known at school and during Auror training. Through their careers with the ministry and subsequently with the Order of the Phoenix, Harry and Malfoy had barely worked together often travelling to different parts of the country on different assignments. The only real time they had spent together was during the short and infrequent briefings and Order meetings held at 12 Grimmauld Place. Harry regarded Malfoy with a smirk and spoke.

"I did wonder, I mean, we're not exactly friends. But if you don't mind my saying Malfoy, you look like hell! When was the last time you slept, or had time off from work? I'd have thought getting married was enough to put a glow onto anyone's face but you look like you've just spent a night with a Dementor. Hermione can't be that bad to live with!"

Malfoy smiled at this last comment. "No, no! Hermione's a gift but one of the reasons I called you here is to discuss a…a problem that I've got which I'm hoping you'll be able to help me with. I wouldn't ask under normal circumstances but seeing as you are Hermione's best friend I feel you are the best person in this instance."

Harry settled back into his chair and raised hand to his face. Running his hand over the souvenir gash from Fenrir Greyback's claws he motioned for Malfoy to continue.

"Right, well before I begin to must make me a promise. You have to swear to me upon the fountain of magical brethren and the hall of prophecy, hell, swear to me on Merlin's pants if that'll make you keep the promise that you WILL NOT REPEAT WHAT I AM ABOUT TO TELL YOU TO ANYONE! Upon your honour, Harry James Potter, do I have your word?"

Harry nodded and said with a slight sneer, "I, Harry James Potter, do hereby swear upon Merlin's manky, smelly old pants that I will not tell anyone what I am about to hear." At his sarcasm Malfoy frowned, "Seriously Harry, tell no one". Harry knitted his eyebrows together in thought and then reassured Malfoy.

"Don't worry, as long as it doesn't involve Dark Magic I wont tell a soul. You have my word. I swear it upon the graves of Sirius and my parents."

Satisfied, Malfoy began. He began by telling Harry about everything to do with his relationship with Hermione; the time they had spent in Africa. How they had fallen in love, how she had moved in with him, how he had made her take a potion to overcome the wizarding law preventing their marriage; he told Harry everything he could think of to make him understand how much he loved Hermione. Although Harry looked distinctly uncomfortable, he didn't interrupt Malfoy once, or laugh at him and for that Draco was grateful. Malfoy finished speaking and stood up from his chair to refill their glasses. He moved closer to the window and turned to face the sprawling gardens that lay below him extending beyond the patio. Re-lighting his cigar with his wand, he took a deep steadying breath. This next part was going to be harder to explain.

Malfoy, still facing outward from the room then told Harry about Seth and his curse. He could not see Harry's face and so could not judge his reaction. He told him about the 'care-meter', about his recent relapses, the sudden increase of deterioration, the spasms and coughing fits that resulted in blood and his prognosis. He told Harry that the Healers had given him an ultimate maximum of 5 years left before the curse overcame his system entirely and killed him. He confessed how he thought 5 days was a closer estimate considering how fast his condition was progressing and how he was feeling. He told Harry all the things he could not tell Hermione and felt a cathartic release of emotion once he had finished. Never in his life had Draco Malfoy been so open with anyone; the fact that he did not consider Harry a friend made the process easier as Harry was an outsider to his life, an objective entity that could be relied upon for the task Malfoy was about to ask him to perform.

When Draco finished speaking, he slowly turned around to face the room once more. Harry too was on his feet, his mouth hanging open.

"You selfish bastard, you made her fall in love with you when you knew, YOU KNEW that you wouldn't be there to look after her as you promised. YOU KNEW you weren't going to live past 30 and yet you still did it. I never thought you would sink so low Malfoy. I knew something wasn't right…what is this whole front supposed to be!? One last hurrah before you take your leave!? NO! I WILL NOT HAVE YOU HURT HER LIKE THIS, OVER MY BROKEN WAND AND LIFELESS BODY!"

Harry roared more than spoke this last sentence and as he finished Malfoy held up his hand firmly in peace with a scowl across his face.

"Potter, you don't understand. When we fell in love, I had never met Seth or even imagined his existence. I thought that Hermione and I were going to live full and happy lives together and that we would be together until we died. But sometimes plans change because circumstances demand they do! You think I planned this, you think I want to die before my child is born!? You think I want to leave her!?"

Both men were breathing heavily with anger and both were glaring at each other. Arguing seemed pointless so Malfoy sat down, composed himself and calmly spoke again.

"The facts, Potter, are undisputed. This is the situation and hopefully, I will find a cure for this damned curse and Hermione and I will be together as I had intended. However, if I die before a cure is found there are certain things that I need to make sure are taken care of after my death. The purpose of what I am about to ask you is merely meant as a contingency plan in case things don't work out the way they are supposed to. I want you to make an Unbreakable Vow with me Potter, if you are willing."

At the sound of this last sentence, Harry started and in his alarm, all anger forgotten, he collapsed heavily into his previously occupied seat. He looked at Malfoy with utter shock on his face and tried to speak but no words came out. Clearing his throat he began, "You want me to make an _Unbreakable Vow_ with you?! Are you insane, you do realise that if either one of us breaks the promise we make it means instant death!"

"Yes Potter I am perfectly aware of the implications of such a request but I am hoping once you hear the terms of this vow you will be more partial toward agreeing. Firstly, I want you to be my child's godfather. I know that Hermione will probably ask you anyway; I am asking you now, so no matter what happens you know that it is the wish of _both_ the child's parents for you to become his or her godfather. Secondly, should something happen to incapacitate me, or I die, I want you to step into the role of the child's father figure. Teach it the values, morals and ethics that have stood us in good stead over the years. Make sure that it turns out the way I should have, true, honest and pure of heart. I know that Hermione will do her best but she will need help if I am not around. Thirdly, if I die before my time, look after Hermione. Protect her from all else, from _anyone_ who wishes her and my child harm. She will be well cared for financially and will never want for anything in the event of my death but she will need protection from enemies, both from within and without. Do you accept the terms of this Unbreakable Vow?"

Harry did not reply for a few moments. Malfoy looked haggard and about to collapse from the sheer stress of the moment. Slowly, Harry leant forward and stretched his right arm toward Malfoy. Clasping Harry's forearm with his own hand the two men gripped each other arms tightly and raised their wands. Repeating the three sides of the promise, three golden threads shot out of Harry and Malfoy's wands and bound their clasped arms together. After both muttering an incoherent incantation, the threads absorbed into their exposed skin and they moved away. Malfoy, unable to resist any longer, gasped and fell to his knees as another coughing spasm overcame him. Covering his mouth with the back of his hand, he fought to regain his composure as crimson flecks of blood flew out of his mouth. Harry bent over and lifted Malfoy at the shoulders, a mixture of anger and concern etched across his face.

"Merlin's beard Malfoy! You need to be at St. Mungo's not running off to get married. This is bloody ridiculous."

"Let me marry Hermione first and then, Potter you can escort me to Healer Morden yourself. Once she is my wife, all will be well. She will be safe and so will my child. I can't risk anything else, not even a hospital visit, until she is safe and bound to me in magical matrimony. It's a matter of a few hours, once the ceremony is over we will spend our wedding night together and I will go to St. Mungo's tomorrow morning. You have my word."

Harry shuffled awkwardly and moved towards the middle of the room. Placing his glass back on the table, he looked over at the pale, shaking Malfoy standing against the wall.

"If that's all, I need to go. Ginny is probably having a seizure because I disappeared without telling anyone", said Harry with an air of finality in his voice.

Malfoy nodded and forced a smile through his trembling blood flecked lips. Wiping the back of his hand and the corner of his mouth with a handkerchief, he moved forward to shake Harry's hand in farewell. The two men looked at each other without saying a word and Harry backed away toward a clear spot in the room.

"Oh by the way Malfoy, I never said congratulations. Despite all this…this…this stuff, I hope that you and Hermione have a wonderful life together." Turning on the spot, Harry Disapparated with another 'crack' and all was silent once more.

Walking back upstairs Malfoy went into his bedroom. The bed had been made during his meeting with Potter and the room was tidy once more. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he removed his bedside table drawer and opened the secret compartment concealed in the wall. He emptied its contents and spread them over the duvet for examination. His old Slytherin prefect's badge was there, green and silver as always with a superimposed 'P' for prefect glittering majestically. There was the silver cloak clasp embossed with the Dark Mark he'd worn on his travelling cloak during his years as a Death-Eater. Luckily, when Potter killed the Dark Lord in their seventh year the Dark Mark burned into his skin has vanished. That was one memento he had not regretted losing. He turned the clasp round in his hands; it was not sentimentality that made him keep the evil looking thing, it was a reminder of what he had done and why he did what he did now.

Putting the two badges aside he reached for the remainder of the items removed from the compartment. He picked up a small, square red velvet box, which held the white gold and diamond studded eternity ring he was going to add to Hermione's engagement ring in a few hours. Placing that on top of the bedside table, he sifted through the remaining items. The medical scans were replaced in the compartment, as were the prefect badge and the cloak clasp. Following that Malfoy carefully placed a pouch containing another gold Malfoy signet ring. Narcissa Malfoy had given this to him many years ago in the event of her son having a child outside of her lifetime. While he didn't think taking it from her at the time was necessary, Malfoy was now glad that he had. It would make the situation a lot less awkward when the child was born especially considering how they felt about Hermione and her status as a Muggle born witch.

Following the pouch with the ring inside it, Malfoy replaced the remaining vial of the Cruor Encryption Potion and the small golden key to his Gringotts vault. As he lifted the last item off the bed, a sheaf of parchment containing deeds to the land he owned, other family estate related assets in his possession and his Auror license a small square photograph slid out and glided to the floor. Malfoy hesitated and picked it up. Staring back at him from within the magical photograph was his much healthier looking self and a very obviously un-pregnant Hermione. They were standing by the Spanish Steps; Malfoy's chin resting on the top of Hermione's head, arms entwined around her waist as he hand stroked his very blonde goatee. They were both smiling and kept stealing glances at each other at regular intervals. Malfoy smiled as his hand reached automatically for his chin; he'd forgotten that he'd grown a goatee during the previous summer. He and Hermione had holidayed in Italy and during their stay in Naples, as they hadn't left their villa or private beach once he hadn't shaved for a week. Only at Hermione's insistence and refusal to kiss him until he had done something about his facial hair, had he trimmed the beard down and shaved it into a goatee.

Wishing for that summer to last forever had seemed foolish at the time but now, he felt saddened that it could not have made it come true. While he was happy that they were having a baby and getting married, nothing seemed to compare with that holiday they had sent in Italy. The carefree nature of their lives for that month had been so liberating; there was no curse, no complications and no politics to manoeuvre. There was just Hermione.

He placed the photograph next to the red velvet box on his bedside table and sighed. With a final glance at the compartment and its contents, he resealed it and replaced the drawer.

His head buzzing with these thoughts Malfoy glanced at the clock on his mantle. It read 5pm. He needed to start getting ready. He walked over to his closet and pulled out his black wedding tuxedo. Dressing slowly, meticulously he savoured every moment relishing in the routine procedure of wearing a tail-coated suit. The arrangement of his stiff-fronted white shirt and black trousers, the fastening of his white tie and the precise method of tying the tie knot to keep it in place. This was a satisfying exercise for a man so proud of his appearance as Malfoy.

As he stepped into his shoes and fastened the golden buttons on his white waistcoat, he looked at himself in the mirror. The excitement of what lay ahead had flushed his cheeks and some of his regular colour seemed to have come back into his face. As he slid his wand into its holder on the inside of his black tailcoat, his fingers brushed the envelope he had placed there the night before. Something stayed his hand; he did not remove it and yet couldn't work out why he felt the need to take it with him. Moving to his bedside table, he slotted the picture of himself and Hermione behind the letter in the pocket.

Swinging the coat around his shoulders, he pushed his arms through and straightened his gold cufflinks embossed with the Malfoy family crest. After one last glance in the mirror and a nod of approval, Draco brushed his blonde hair out of his eyes and reached for the box. Checking to see if the ring was safe and secure, he snapped the lid shut and placed it in his coat pocket. He smiled in excitement.

Leaving the room, he stole one more look around to make sure he had left nothing and then paused. He had an odd feeling in his stomach. Like he would never see this room again and wanted to remember it exactly as it was. He walked over to the bed and ran a groomed hand over the white Egyptian cotton sheets. He smoothed the pillow upon which Hermione slept and laughed aloud. He was being ridiculous.

"_You sentimental git"_ he told himself, _"you're being silly, the only reason you're feeling odd is because the next time you come into this room, you'll be married and your wife will be with you"_. My wife…the words sounded warm, like the embrace of an old friend. He enjoyed the sound of it on his tongue.

Shaking himself slightly he stepped away from the bed, turned out the light and left the room. Walking downstairs, he reached the hallway. Lifting his black dress cloak from its peg, he draped it around his shoulders and picked up his ceremonial cane. Twirling it in his fingers, he moved onto the back patio and took a deep breath. The summer air tickled his face and blew through his hair. Sax was at the door behind him. She bowed low and held out his pocket watch, which she had polished to a gleam. He took the watch and attached the chain to the buttonhole his waistcoat. Putting the gold watch face carefully in his front waistcoat pocket, he spoke.

"Well, how do I look?"

Sax smiled a rare smile, "Master looks very becoming, sir. Mistress will be pleased. I will see you at the ceremony sir, I must finish here before I leave."

Malfoy nodded at her and stepped into the garden. He turned to look at the house one last time and then closed his eyes picturing Hermione walking toward him in a beautiful white dress. Smiling, Draco Malfoy turned on the spot and with a resounding 'crack' he Disapparated and was gone from the grounds.

Gone to his beloved, gone to begin his new life with the utterance of a few simple words…gone to be married.

Gone.


	17. The Wedding

**Disclaimer's Notice: **I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters featuring in the books or the films. They belong to J.K Rowling and her wonderful mind. Only the plot is mine.

**Chapter 17**

Malfoy wondered why people called nervous jitters, butterflies; they should be called elephants because that is what they felt like: a herd of angry elephants stomping around in his gut. Over a thousand people had turned up for the wedding, which had greatly surprised Malfoy. The one person who was most notably absent however, was Lucius Malfoy. Evidently, he did not think that his son's wedding warranted an appearance, which suited Draco down to the ground. His father not attending his wedding was hardly a disappointment considering their mutual feelings of hatred toward one another. The guests, having all been plied with copious amounts of mulled mead, firewhisky and butterbeer were in a very jolly mood as they began to take their seats for the ceremony. Draco was standing with his mother at the alter waiting for everyone to take their seats as she placed the family's traditional sash of deepest purple around his torso. She pinned it at his hip, kissed him lightly on the cheek and then helped him back into his jacket. Placing her hands on his face, Draco saw that she had tears in her eyes.

"For Merlin's sake mum, can we hold off the waterworks till after we exchange rings?"

Instead of preventing the tears, Malfoy's comment only made Narcissa Malfoy sniff louder as she hastily dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief.

"Oh Draco! I'm sorry but I am just so happy for you! I am a little overwhelmed, that's all, and after all you are my favourite son!"

"Mother, I am your only son," said Malfoy with mock gruffness.

Again, the tears threatened to spill over until Malfoy embraced his mother tightly and whispered in her ear, "Be strong mamma. I love you, and always will. Thank you for being here for me today."

He kissed her forehead, escorted Narcissa to her seat and then stepped away turning to the centaur waiting for him back at the altar. Bane had been a friend of the family for generations but forged an especially close relationship with Draco when he was a small boy. Their strong friendship had resulted in Bane being Malfoy's teacher and mentor for many years. The step from mentor and friend to best man-horse at his wedding was only natural.

Despite a centaur's innate lack of interest in humans, their culture, customs and rituals, they did present an impressive picture to the world when they chose to. Apart from being the tallest and most imposing figure in the room (even Hagrid looked normal sized compared to Bane), the centaur had pulled out all stops when it came to his appearance. His coat was gleaming like a piece of obsidian; his long hair and short beard, neatly groomed were glittering by the light of the thousands of candles hovering above them. Bane was also wearing a sash of the same colour and had draped a narrow, black velvet throw over his back, which was embroidered with Draco's family crest in silver. Altogether, he looked more like a glorified general than a groomsman but managed to carry off his domineering appearance with gentleness and grace only a centaur could possess. His arms hung loosely by his massive torso as he pawed the stone alter elegantly, waiting patiently for the guests to seat themselves.

Malfoy approached Bane and stood next to him looking pale and nervous. The centaur lowered his head and spoke in Malfoy's ear, "Relax young Draco. You look like a taut bow ready to loose the arrows of anxiety upon the world."

"I can't help it old friend, I just need this to be over so there can be nothing left to fear. Once we are married I will be fine, wait and see."

Bane chuckled softly and placed a hand on Malfoy's shoulder. Draco felt some of his tension loosen as he breathed deeply, revelling in Bane's ability to calm him with a single touch.

"Better?" asked Bane.

Malfoy nodded; the magic of centaurs really was such a mystery to humans. But before long the elephants in his stomach had started up their stomping once more because the guests were all seated and the conversation levels dropped to excited murmurings and whispers. It was time and everyone knew it. As if of their own accord, the candles dimmed slightly as the chamber orchestra began a wedding march. A yellow clad figure escorted by a tall man in dress robes emerged from the darkness beyond the marquee entrance. The bridal procession had arrived.

In the wake of a gentle falling stream of white rose petals, Ginny Weasley, escorted by her brother Ron, walked up the aisle with a huge smile plastered to her face. In contrast, Ron looked distinctly uncomfortable and had gone slightly pink at the ears. He was not used to all this attention and walking his little sister up the aisle was not his idea of an evening well spent. Nevertheless, he was putting on a brave front and was confidently walking in step with his sister as two more figured stepped into the edge of the light behind them. Reaching the altar in perfect unison, both Ron and Ginny nodded at Malfoy and took their places to the right of the stone table. The Master Warlock of Ceremonies pressed his fingertips together as he gasped in awe at the sight of Harry and Hermione who were beginning their march up the now rose petal covered aisle.

Malfoy closed his eyes for a moment, took a deep steadying breath and steeled himself. Opening them he caught sight of Hermione as his breath caught in his throat and his heart skipped a beat. Hermione was wearing a white satin and chiffon strapless dress. A strategically placed empire line under her now ample chest served the purpose of accentuating her newly acquired assets as well as covering her obviously pregnant stomach. Thin muslin like material made up her veil, which covered her face and floated along lightly behind her. Her earrings were just visible beneath this as the diamonds in them glittered in the candlelight. In her hands, she was holding a classic bouquet of white lilies, which were offset by the shining diamond engagement ring visible to everyone from her left hand. At the sight of the flowers Malfoy smirked at her; she caught his smile and very subtly winked back at him. White lilies were the symbol of chastity and virtue, neither of which Hermione had exercised obvious from the fact that she was pregnant.

Harry sported the complete opposite of Hermione's radiant, blissfully happy expression. Instead of glowing and smiling, he looked serious and a little too sombre considering the nature of the event. Despite the conflicted, raging emotions tearing through him he valiantly stomped them down determined not to ruin Hermione's big day. Ginny was beaming at him as he escorted Hermione in place of her father, down the aisle toward her future husband. Reaching the base of the altar, he withdrew Hermione's arm from his and took her hand to help her climb the wide steps that led up to where she was to stand. When she was within arms reach of Malfoy, Harry kissed Hermione on both cheeks, gave her a quick hug and then moved to stand next to Ginny. He felt a little weird to be giving her away considering she was a few months older than him but the feel of Ginny's hand creeping into his soon pushed all thoughts out of his mind as he watched the Warlock of Ceremonies step forward and begin to speak.

"Ladies and Gentleman, Witches and Wizards, Centaurs, Elves, Goblins, Werewolves and friends: we are gathered here tonight to celebrate the union of these two souls…"

The Warlock's words drifted away as Malfoy was gripped and blinded by a sudden searing pain in his chest. Luckily for him, no one but Bane noticed and the centaur immediately placed his hand on Malfoy's shoulder to steady him. He Bane's voice echoing inside his head, _"stay the course Draco, it will be over soon and then we can take you to a Healer."_

Malfoy could feel the sweat beading on his forehead as he took quiet deep breaths and tried to bear the pain silently. After a few more agonizing and painful moments, the pain subsided to a more manageable level and Bane removed his hand.

"…begin this celebration of joining tonight. Draco Nathaniel Malfoy, do you take this woman, Hermione Katherine Granger to be your ceremonially wedded wife? To love her, protect her and provide for her in the face of all else until death do you part?"

Malfoy suddenly realised through the pain that this was his cue; this was his time to make it all right. He turned to Bane who obediently handed him Hermione's wedding ring. Taking her left hand in both of his he looked deep into her eyes, which were radiating happiness.

"I do."

He slipped the eternity ring onto her ring finger and pushed it up against the band of her engagement ring. It settled there with the satisfying clink of metal on metal just as the pain in his chest began to rise in intensity once more.

"_Hold it together man, come on, just a little longer…we are almost there,"_ Draco told himself. He bent and kissed the top of Hermione's hand before the Warlock spoke again.

"Hermione Katherine Granger, do you take this man, Draco Nathaniel Malfoy to be your ceremonially wedded husband? To love him, care for him and stand by him for all eternity until death do you part?"

Hermione turned to Ginny and took a gold wedding band from her outstretched hand. She squeezed his left hand gently and smiled broadly at him.

"I do."

She removed his signet ring and slipped the gold band onto his little finger. She touched it gently, looked into his eyes and then replaced the signet ring over it. Malfoy smiled back at her but the effort was exhausting him. Still Hermione noticed nothing even though his fingers twitched slightly and his hand was trembling.

"By the magic vested in me by Merlin and the Confederation of Wizards, Witches and Warlocks I hereby pronounce you man and wife! Master Malfoy, you may kiss your bride," said the Warlock smiling and stepping back.

Malfoy lifted Hermione's veil over her head as he leaned down and kissed her firmly on the lips. The entire congregation was cheering, applauding and whistling as Malfoy gritted his teeth against the now severe pain in his chest and pulled Hermione close to him. She melted into his embrace and threw her arms around his neck before attempting to deepen the kiss. But Malfoy could not; he pulled away from her and forced a smile on his face. He could feel the back of his dress shirt sticking to his skin as the sweat now freely dripping was absorbed into the soft cotton. There was once last thing to be done: the marriage contract had to be sign and sealed with blood before it was legally binding.

Malfoy guided a deliriously happy Hermione to the surface of the stone altar where there lay a large piece of parchment, a bottle of black ink and a small silver dagger. Malfoy bent over it, signed his name with the ink and then pressed the tip of the dagger into his palm. Making a small cut he pressed the skin together until a small bubble of blood seeped to the surface before turning his hand palm down and pressing it over his signature. There was a reddish glow from beneath his hand as the ink absorbed the blood and turned gold. Malfoy's breath was coming in short gasps as he watched Hermione do the same. When her signature had turned gold as well she started to move away from the altar but noticed that Malfoy had not removed his hand from the parchment. She moved closer to him and placed her hand over his.

"It is done my love," she said gently. "The contract is signed, the ceremony is complete. We are married now and nothing can change that; you can remove your hand now, it's over."

Malfoy thought was about to explode with pain as he closed his eyes. He could not look at her, could not see the pain in her eyes or feel the worry in her touch. It was too late, but she was right about one thing: it was over.

Hermione was still standing next to Draco and their guests seemed oblivious that anything was wrong. Harry, Ginny, Ron and Bane were the only ones watching Malfoy closely and even Narcissa did not see her son as he finally succumbed to the pain and fell to his knees as a soft cry escaped his lips. Everyone was too busy congratulating Draco's mother to see the groom double over clutching his chest.

Bane was trying to lift Draco to his feet but Malfoy's knees would not hold his weight. Finally the centaur managed it with Harry supporting one side while he held up the other. Draco was panting heavily and violently shaking all over as the two men moved him away from the altar to the side of the table. Silent tears and gentle sobs escaped Hermione as Ginny escorted her after them. Ron meanwhile, had gone to fetch a Healer to help but before he reached the end of the aisle to Disapparate he heard Hermione's scream. Ron wasn't the only one who heard it; the room went oddly quiet as all eyes turned towards the altar.

The pain had subsided and Malfoy had managed to stand on his own for a few seconds. The relief was short lived however, as just as he was about to reach for Hermione he collapsed and fell to his knees once more. This time though Harry and Bane could not lift him. Any efforts they made to try and raise him up were met with dismissive hand gestures from Malfoy who was bent over clutching his chest with one hand. His blonde hair looked almost brown from the sweat and his face was so pale it was almost translucent. His breath was coming in short gasps and he slid to one side and hit the floor with a resounding thud. He turned his head and spat out a mouthful of blood, which spattered against the hem of Hermione's white dress. She knelt beside him weeping uncontrollably as his eyes rolled into the back of his head. Grasping a fistful of his shirt, Hermione began to shake him until he opened his eyes one last time.

"You cannot leave me here, Draco! You cannot, I forbid it," she yelled at him her tears dropped onto his face.

He smiled weakly and raised a hand to cup her cheek.

"I love you Hermione," he whispered hoarsely as another spasm of pain racked his entire body.

"No, no, no, no, no! We are supposed to be together forever," she wailed.

"Together forever until death do us part, my love. It is my time, I am finished," he said through clenched teeth. "Let me go, Hermione."

All eyes were on him as he lifted his head to kiss his wife. Ginny was sobbing uncontrollably into an ashen-faced Harry's arm. Narcissa was standing next to Harry shaking her head violently, watching the unbearable, unbelievable scene unfolding before her.

"I can't let you go Draco, for the sake of our child you have to stay. Fight it off! You are strong and we will get you to St. Mungo's and then everything will be okay," said Hermione helplessly groping for some shred of hope.

"No Hermione, my strength is lost. I cannot fight anymore. I am beaten." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath as yet another spasm flooded his body. "I love you, I always have and always will. Forever," said Malfoy.

His eyes closed, his hand fell from Hermione's face as Draco Malfoy drew his last breath and passed from this life into the next.

Narcissa Malfoy fainted as Bane caught her before she too hit the ground. He laid her on two chairs and then moved back toward Malfoy's lifeless body. Dropping his front legs down, he reached out and lifted Malfoy from the ground and laid him on top of the stone table. He touched a hand to Draco's forehead and said in a loud, clear voice, "Be at peace, my friend, son of man."

There was deadly silence all around until the reality of what had just happened hit Hermione like a bullet train of emotion. She slumped down to the ground, and removed her hand from the place where Malfoy's unnaturally still chest had been. Putting her hands over her ears she began to rock back and forth, tears silently flowing until Harry knelt beside her and touched her arm. It was as if something snapped inside her at his condoling touch because at that moment she threw her head back and screamed into the night air.

"You took him from me," she yelled to the sky through uncontrollable sobs. "We hadn't even begun and you snatched him away from me before we were ready! We weren't ready! I didn't even get a chance to say goodbye!"

She said no more as her throat refused her the words that her heart spoke. All she could manage was bitter, anguished screams as her soul grieved the unfair, harsh loss of the man she loved. Harry, tears running down his face, pulled Hermione into his arms and held her tight as her entire body was racked with sobs. He felt the convulsions of her emotion through his entire body as he attempted to mutter soothing words to his best friend.

But Hermione's world had ended, the one thing in her life that she loved unconditionally and absolutely had left her before her very eyes. As she continued to scream her grief, anguish and loss into the night air, a gentle breeze lifted caressing the marquee with the soothing warmth of the evening.

Later on, many of the guests present that evening would swear blindly that the wind seemed to speak to them. It spoke of love, life and loss and filled those who heard it with such a complete sense of hope, the likes of which none of them had ever felt before.

But for Hermione Granger Malfoy, all the hope in the world was gone. As she lay there cradled in Harry's arms she did later recall one thing about the wind: it did speak, but it carried a very different message for her.

"_Hermione,"_ it whispered into the corners of her mind, _"I live on in our child. Together forever we will always be within the life of our child…"_

Moments later, Hermione succumbed to unconsciousness and all memory of the whispering wind faded from her thoughts as the darkness enveloped her utterly, totally and completely.


	18. Epilogue

**Disclaimer's Notice: **I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters featuring in the books or the films. They belong to J.K Rowling and her wonderful mind. Only the plot is mine.

**Epilogue**

Narcissa Malfoy stood silent sentry as the mournful sound of bagpipes filled the air around her. She had mastered her grief over night and now stood composed looking regal and solemn. While her exterior portrayed calm and grace, the inner turmoil that raged within stormed its way through her entire body and threatened to break through at any moment. But, she would not show it, she would now allow the grief to surface; it was not becoming of the Malfoy matriarch to be seen as weak and pathetic, even at the funeral of her only son.

Hermione Granger-Malfoy was standing to Narcissa's left, dressed in black velvet her loose brown hair shifting slightly in the evening summer breeze. The widow of Draco Malfoy who had spent mere moments as his wife was fast becoming almost as famous as Harry Potter himself. The entire magical community was buzzing with the story of Draco's premature death the previous evening at his own wedding ceremony and it did not help that most of the wizarding world had witnessed his passing for themselves. Hermione did not care; her grief was so encompassing that her mind was closed to all else save her own pain. Her normally gentle brown eyes were rimmed with rings of red providing the only evidence that she had spent the entire night in tears.

To Hermione's left stood Harry & Ginny. Both of them had spent the night with her at Copse Cottage attempting to console her. While they had failed miserably in their efforts to distract her from the pain, their presence had soothed Hermione's state of mind a little. There wasn't much either of them could do, they had merely sat there silently and taken it in turns to hold Hermione as she wept and howled for her loss and pain.

As the mourning bagpipes sounded through the air guests began to assemble slowly and surely for the second time in two days. Condolences were spoken, gestures of kindness occurred and all the while Hermione just gazed at Malfoy Manor, waiting for the moment when her nightmare would become real. And just when she thought she could bear the anticipation no longer, the bagpipes ended and drums replaced them.

The doors of the manor opened and the clip-clop of large hooves on gravel silenced the gently whispering crowds. People formed lines of their own accord as Bane the Centaur, Draco Malfoy's friend, marched out leading the funeral procession. His appearance was a stark contrast to the night before. Where he wore a ceremonial sash he now had a blanket of black and silver draped elegantly over his haunches as a mark of respect for his deceased friend. As the deep booming of the drum took up a slow and steady rhythm the bagpipes joined in with a lament so beautiful that it rivalled Phoenix song. Draco's casket was borne by four other centaurs – companions of Bane who had known Malfoy in his younger days and respected him for his choices and desire to right the wrongs of his family. They balanced the ebony coffin on their shoulders with arms bridged underneath and marched in perfect step, fetlocks arching like dressage stallions with each stride.

The sight of the coffin had proven to be too much for Narcissa Malfoy who looked to still be standing out of sheer will and determination. Hermione on the other hand had no more tears to cry. She was utterly spent, hollow, empty, a shell devoid of any feelings whatsoever. As Bane led the others to the ground within which Malfoy was to be laid to rest people began lowering their heads and removing hats to honour Draco. Hermione was standing right next to Malfoy's tomb so the casket passed her last on it's way to the marble temple. As it did, Hermione felt her heart constrict – almost as if it had shattered or cracked.

Bane looked at her and inclined his head so slightly that no one else noticed. She had been fine until the centaur had acknowledged her presence at the grave of her husband. She crumpled to her knees and gasped in physical pain as her grief twisted like a blade in her chest. No one approached her, except for Bane. He stepped aside to allow his brothers to place the coffin in its marble crypt and as he did so, he dropped to his knees so he was at eye level with Hermione. He bent further towards her and placed two massive hands on Hermione's forearms.

"Stay strong, Lady Hermione," said his rumbling baritone voice.

Hermione took a deep breath, looked at Bane with empty, ghostly eyes and nodded. She looked into the rosy sky just as the wind swept her hair back and whispered in her ears, _"I am here Hermione, I will never leave you my love. I love you…"_

"I love you too Draco," she murmured back as her temporarily absent tears finally began creeping to the surface. She blinked once as they began to roll down her face and looked into the doorway of the tomb. The other centaurs had placed the casket into its marble case and were about to seal the lid shut when the wind blew across Hermione's face once more.

"_Remember me because I remain, always and forever yours,"_ it breathed.

As lid of the marble crypt shut with a thud, the breeze instantly died and Hermione knew that Draco, the man she loved was gone from this world forever. She was never going to touch his face again, never going to wake up to his scent on the sheets, never going to gaze into his silvery eyes again.

It was over.

But for her child it was just beginning.

**The End**


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